


Souyowrimo 2018

by treya_barton



Category: Persona 4
Genre: Blood and Violence, Blow Jobs, Clothing Kink, Gun Violence, Hand Jobs, Kissing, M/M, Making Out, NSFW, Post-Apocalypse, Pre-Apocalypse, Souyowrimo 2018
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-01
Updated: 2018-11-30
Packaged: 2019-08-14 01:52:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 30
Words: 58,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16483820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/treya_barton/pseuds/treya_barton
Summary: So InkstainedGwyn posted a list of Souyo related prompts on Tumblr for Souyowrimo.  This is where I will be posting each day's prompt in November.I will be updating tags and posting a warning in the notes for chapters that either contain violence or are NSFW.





	1. A Holiday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day 1 prompt is “a holiday” and I choose to write about Japan’s Autumn Equinox which is a day families go and visit the graves of dead relatives.

Normally when Yosuke woke up on a day off for school, he was excited.  He loved national holidays because it meant not having to go to class, sleeping in, and lazing about all day.  However, this particular holiday was different.  Instead of sleeping in, Yosuke ended up tossing and turning all night while giving up right before dawn, unable to sleep because he was still indecisive about what he wanted to do today.  It was Autumnal Equinox Day, which meant families would be going to visit gravesites to pay respects to their family members who had passed away.  However, in Yosuke’s case, his grandparents were still alive and his great-grandparents were buried in the city so his family wouldn’t be going to visit them.  Instead, they would set out flowers and food offerings to their portraits which were kept on display in his dad’s study. 

There was one grave that Yosuke wanted to visit, however.  He just didn’t know if it was appropriate.  And that is what had kept him up all night.  Yosuke knew that Saki’s family would definitely be visiting her grave today, and that some classmates may visit as well.  He also knew that he probably wouldn’t be welcome by any of them and definitely didn’t want to show up while they were there.  However.  Yosuke glanced over at the small bouquet of flowers he had bought the night before that were currently sitting in a vase of water in order to remain fresh overnight.  Yosuke personally wanted to pay his respects, especially after all the growth he had gone through after her death.  He felt he owed it to her.

Yosuke heard movement downstairs and figured his mother was probably up, getting ready to prepare the food offerings for their private ceremony in the afternoon.  Yosuke had never really met his great-grandparents, so he always felt awkward bowing to them and trying to be reflective on their lives.  He only knew a few stories his parents had told him about them and not much else.  Teddie had disappeared to the Shadow World a few days ago, wanting to give the family privacy for the holiday, and Yosuke suddenly missed his usually boisterous presence; it would be a welcome distraction for a change.

He shook his head before heading down the stairs, surprising his mother when he popped into the kitchen.  “Can I help with anything?” he asked, and she took one look at his bleary eyes and let out a small sigh.

“Couldn’t sleep?” she asked delicately, before reaching forward and placing a cool hand against his forehead. 

“No,” Yosuke replied.  “I’m not sick either.”

“I was just making sure,” she replied, looking at him thoughtfully.  “I noticed you bought flowers yesterday.”

Yosuke nodded, before looking down.  His mom gave him a sad smile.  “Maybe you should go now.  It’s early so no one else should be there yet,” she suggested, and Yosuke bit his lip.  It was like his mom had read his mind.

“I think I’ll do that,” he said, her words giving him the boost he needed.  Yosuke quickly dashed upstairs to get dressed before pulling the flowers out of the vase and drying off the stems before re-wrapping them in wax paper.  He had bought the flowers in the shopping district, knowing that if he had gotten them from Junes it would have seemed rude.  After carefully arranging the white lilies, he glanced at the time on his phone.  It was just now 6am, so if he headed out he should still be early enough that he wouldn’t encounter anyone else at the graveyard.  Yosuke headed outside, pulling out a basket that he could strap to the front of his bike and placing the bouquet in it before pedaling over to the gravesite. 

As he biked, the world around him began to grow steadily brighter as the sun began to rise up over the horizon.  It was actually a beautiful fall morning with crisp air and a clear sky, and by the time he arrived at Saki’s gravesite the early morning light gave all of the monuments and his lilies a rosy glow.  Yosuke let down his kickstand and stepped off his bike, before solemnly turning to look at Saki’s grave, his chest tight as his mind raced with all the things he wanted portray to her.  First, though, he bowed before placing the flowers in a little holder at the foot of her monument, and then he kneeled down until he was sitting on his knees with his back straight.  He clasped his hands together and looked down, taking a steadying breath as he got his thoughts together.  And then he prayed, although, really, it was more like sending her a message.

He let her know that they did find out who murdered her and that he was currently in jail serving time for his crime.  It may not bring her back, but at least it should bring her some peace.  He let her know that he had really grown up in the past year and believes that now, he could have been a friend to her if he had a chance again, something that she had probably needed back then.  He let her know that while she’ll always remain special to him, he was finally moving on and had his heart set on someone else, and that he hoped she can be happy for him.  Yosuke felt pinpricks of tears suddenly at the corner of his eyes and took a shaky breath.  “I’m sorry,” he said softly.  “That I couldn’t do more, sempai.” 

Even though the remnant of Saki’s shadow had said some pretty mean things about him, Yosuke knew deep in his heart that there was more to the girl than that, and he didn’t blame her for it.  They had all faced their own shadows after all.  Yosuke clapped his hands one more time before carefully getting up, and he reached forward with one hand and placed it on the cool stone before closing his eyes.  ‘I hope you are at least at peace now,’ he thought, before pulling away and wiping at his eyes.

Yosuke then got back on his bike and started to pedal back home, before suddenly making a detour over to the Samegawa flood plains.  He parked his bike on the path that overlooked the river and pulled out his phone, hesitating for a moment before pressing a number on his speed dial.  He held the phone up to his ear and closed his eyes.  It was still early so maybe he wouldn’t…  “Yosuke?” Yu asked after only two rings, and Yosuke felt his heart flutter nervously.

“Hey,” he said softly.

“What’s wrong?” Yu asked, and Yosuke couldn’t help but let out a short laugh.  His partner knew him too well.

“I just left Saki-sempai’s grave,” he replied, sitting down on the grass.  He wiped at his eyes again, and Yu could hear him sniffling on the phone.  “I brought her flowers and let her know that we found her killer and that he’s serving time for his crimes.”

Yu was silent for a moment, giving Yosuke time to speak.  “Do you think it’s…ok?” he finally asked.

“What do you mean?” Yu asked.

“I mean…that I visited today.  It’s supposed to be family and friends right?” Yosuke replied.  “And I’m really neither if you think about it.”

“Yosuke…” Yu said with a soft sigh.  “It’s ok.  You thought long and hard and this is the decision that felt right to you, correct?”

Yosuke nodded, before remembering Yu couldn’t see him.  “Yeah, I kind of couldn’t sleep last night,” he admitted.  “But I think I would have regretted it if I didn’t come.”

“Then I think you already have your answer,” Yu replied smoothly, and Yosuke couldn’t help but feel better.  Yu always had that effect on him.  Which is why…  Yosuke lay back down on the grass.

“I’m sorry I’m bothering you about this,” he said, staring up at the early morning sky, a few pieces of tall grass in his vision.

“Yosuke, partner,” Yu replied, immediately catching his attention.  Yosuke felt his face warm at the use of his pet name – Yu rarely used it in return. 

“Yeah?” Yosuke asked.

“You’re never a burden,” Yu replied.  “I’m glad you called me.  So, how do you feel now?”

Yosuke took a deep breath.  “Better.  I feel like I settled some things.  I’ll always care about her but…” he trailed off.  “I think I can finally let her go, you know?”  He thought about his new feelings, for his partner, the person he could always rely on, and knew that now he had finally settled his feelings for Saki, he would be able to move forward to act on those new feelings.  “When are you planning on visiting next?” Yosuke asked.

“I’m going to spend winter break in Inaba.  My parents are busy anyway and my uncle says it would really make Nanako happy if I visited around New Years,” Yu replied.  “Why, do you miss me or something?”  He had a slightly teasing quality to his voice, but Yosuke knew that he was using it to mask the fact he was hoping Yosuke would say yes.

“Of course, you dork,” Yosuke said playfully.  “Make sure you save a day for me, ok?”

Yu was quiet for a moment, pondering the meaning of his words.  “Of course,” he finally replied.  “So, are you feeling better now?”

“Yes.  Thank you,” Yosuke replied honestly.

“Always happy to help.”

After they wrapped up their conversation, Yosuke stood up and got back on his bike, suddenly feeling his exhaustion now that his anxiety about his visit had worn off.  He had a feeling once he got home he would be crashing until he had to honor his great-grandparents that afternoon.  At least now his mind was clear and he was motivated again for his future. 


	2. Glasses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The theme for day 2 of Souyowrimo is Glasses~

Yu walked up the stairs to the dorm room he shared with Yosuke, tired after a long day running around campus.  Yosuke kept telling him he was involved in too many college groups and was going to wear himself out, and he was starting to realize he may be right.  Yu unlocked the door to their room and swung it open, revealing Yosuke sitting on his bed and huddled under a blanket as he typed away on his laptop.  Perched on his face was a pair of glasses.  Yu tilted his head as he shut the door, for other than in the Shadow World he had never seen Yosuke in glasses or contacts and wasn’t aware he needed them.  His glasses looked pretty similar to the ones he had worn in the Shadow World, and Yu wondered if maybe Teddie had made the frames for him.

“Hey,” Yu greeted, and Yosuke looked up from what he was working on.  Yu suddenly felt a little hot under the collar, for something about Yosuke’s eyes looking up at him through the frames and his messily falling bangs was incredibly attractive.

“Hey,” he replied back, eyes sweeping across his face.  “You look exhausted, dude.”

Yu smiled bitterly before setting his bag on his bed.  He then walked over to Yosuke’s bed, motioning for him to move his laptop.  Yosuke pretended to look annoyed, protesting he was trying to work on an assignment, before eagerly setting his laptop on the desk beside him.  Yu immediately climbed onto Yosuke’s bed and rested his head in his boyfriend’s lap, staring up at his rather attractive face and appreciating the view of him gazing back down at him with his bangs hanging away from his face like they were shielding them from the rest of the world.

“When did you start wearing these?” Yu asked, reaching up to gently touch the side of his glasses.

Yosuke huffed and moved to slide them off, but Yu quickly placed a hand on his wrist and shook his head.  Yosuke hesitated before moving his hands away and explaining with a frown.  “Last year I started having to move to the front of the class because I couldn’t see the board.  My parents dragged me to the eye doctor, and I found out I needed glasses.  I just usually wear contacts most of the time but they were bothering my eyes earlier.  I think I look pretty dorky so I try not to wear them.”

“I always thought you looked pretty hot with them on,” Yu replied straightforwardly, and Yosuke immediately blushed.

“What?” he asked, and Yu grinned.

“Even in the Shadow World,” he explained.  “Something about that determined gaze framed by your glasses.  It was something I looked forward to.”

Yosuke let out a strangled sound and looked like he wanted to try to hide in embarrassment, but with Yu resting in his lap it was pretty difficult.  “You should wear them more often,” Yu pressed.  “At least while in here.”

“Maybe,” Yosuke frowned.  He then lightly poked Yu’s face.  “Can you get up for a moment?”

Yu sat up with a pout, for he had been quite comfortable where he was, but when Yosuke slid down until he was laying on his back and opened his arms invitingly to Yu, he definitely jumped at the opportunity.  Yu crawled on top of Yosuke, burying his head against his shoulder with a pleased sigh while Yosuke wrapped one arm around his shoulder and used the other to run his fingers skillfully through his hair.  Yu tilted his head to look up at Yosuke, continuing to appreciate his rare glasses look outside of the Shadow World and his soft, contemplative expression that he always got when comforting him.  It really was different seeing them on him now than when they had been in constant danger, and Yu couldn’t decide which side of Yosuke he liked more.  He supposed he loved all the sides equally.

Yu leaned up on one arm, pulling away slightly out of Yosuke’s grasp so he could huddle over him.  Yosuke’s head was resting on his pillow with his hair splayed out on it, and he looked curiously through his glasses at him, wondering why he had abruptly stopped cuddling.  It was the usual way he helped Yu wind down after a long day.  Yu had other things in mind though.  He leaned forward, pressing a delicate kiss on both of Yosuke’s cheeks just below his frames before angling for his mouth, having to slant his head more carefully with Yosuke wearing his glasses and still managing to nudge the frames with his nose.  He was determined to make it work, however, and pressed himself against Yosuke’s body as he drew long, lazy kisses from him.  Yosuke’s hand was soon tangled in his hair again, while Yu used his free hand to cup Yosuke’s face, fingers trailing along his jaw as they kissed.  Once they finally broke apart for some air, Yosuke mumbled, “Ok, I’ll probably wear these again,” and Yu grinned victoriously.

“Good,” he said, before gently pulling them off his face and setting them on Yosuke’s small dresser next to his bed.  Yosuke eagerly tugged Yu down for round two, and they ended up lazing in bed together for the rest of the evening.


	3. Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 3's prompt is Morning - Yu and Yosuke pull an all nighter and watch the sunrise~

Yosuke finally got past the map he had been grinding on for hours in his tactics game and set down his controller before letting out a stretch.  He glanced over at Yu who had been half watching him play while reading a book and chatting the whole time.  “Finally beat it without anyone dying!” he said proudly, and Yu looked at him from over his book.

“Nice job,” he grinned, before turning the page.  Yosuke stood up and walked over to their mini fridge in order to grab a drink before noticing the time on Yu’s alarm clock. 

“Shit, partner, it’s 5am,” he groaned.  It was a weekend, so it wasn’t like either of them needed to be anywhere, but still he hadn’t been expecting to stay up all night.  It often happened when he got caught up in gaming that he lost track of the time.

Yu let out a yawn before marking his place and setting down his book.  “Want to go to sleep then?” he asked as Yosuke uncapped his drink and took a sip.  Yosuke was looking thoughtfully at the window.

“Well.  Since we’re up already, why not watch the sunrise?” he suggested.  “I mean we’ve only got about an hour to wait.  Unless you’re really tired that is.”

Yu grinned at him.  “I think that sounds like a nice idea.  How about we find a place outside to watch?”

Yosuke was already throwing on a jacket over his hoodie, and Yu quickly grabbed a jacket of his own.  They then headed outside, deciding to go to the pond with a fountain in the middle featured at the center of campus.  There were benches along each side and trees surrounding it, and they thought it would be a pleasant place to watch the sun come up.  It was still dark outside, but it had that slight tint of light that occurred in the early morning before sunrise that gave everything an ethereal glow.  It was also pretty chilly, so once Yu and Yosuke arrived at the pond, they immediately huddled together on the bench, Yosuke wishing that he had some coffee while Yu gently reminded him that they planned on going to sleep after this.

As it began to get closer to sunrise, it became steadily lighter outside and the eastern horizon began to take on a pinkish tint.  Yosuke rested his head on Yu’s shoulder while Yu reached down to take his partner’s hand, both of them staring quietly toward where the sun would start to come up and enjoying the peace that came with it being early morning on a weekend on campus.  Most students were still recovering from late night activities after all.  The birds were up, however, and they enjoyed listening to their chirps and chatter as they flew about overhead.  Finally, they noticed a bit of sun beginning to come up over the horizon, and they watched in anticipation as it slowly began to lift up into the sky.  It wasn’t often that either of them actually watched the sunrise – Yosuke tended to sleep in and while Yu was sometimes awake, he was often busy and didn’t pay any attention to it. So, this was a rare treat.

Once the sun began to peek out over the horizon, its image was reflected in the water in the pond; although the fountain kept the water churning toward the middle, the edges of the pond were pretty smooth and calm.  Yosuke pointed out how gorgeous the sunrise’s reflection in the water looked, and he soon snapped a picture with his phone as a keepsake.  Once the sun was high enough overhead that the light began to take on that bright, early morning glow, they decided it was time to retire for a few hours and they headed back to their dorm, still huddled close together as they walked and starting to feel the effects of their all nighter hitting them. 

When they got back to the dorm, Yosuke didn’t even bother changing into his pjs and just shucked off his jacket and pants before crawling into bed.  Yu had enough energy left to change into his sleep clothes before popping into the bathroom to brush his teeth; by the time he returned, Yosuke was already fast asleep, his face soft and calm.  It was such a change from his usual nervous energy when awake, and it touched Yu’s heart every time.  He crawled into bed next to him, placing a gentle kiss on top of his hair before wrapping his arms around him and closing his eyes.  Moments later, Yu passed out too, images of the sunrise while cuddled up next to Yosuke filtering through his mind.


	4. Clothes Swap

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For day 4 Yu gets stuck at Yosuke's house during a sudden thunderstorm~

Yu was over studying at the Hanamura’s when it suddenly began storming outside.  He had fallen out of the habit of constantly checking the weather since they had finally solved the case, so he was completely unprepared to try to travel home.  Yosuke turned on to the weather channel and sure enough it looked like it would be storming all night.  “Well partner, you’re welcome to stay the night,” Yosuke suggested.  “Or I can see if my dad can give you a ride.  You’re definitely not walking in this weather though.”

Yu immediately latched onto Yosuke’s first suggestion.  “If you wouldn’t mind me staying over,” he started to say, and Yosuke rolled his eyes.

“When have I ever minded, dude?” he asked, shaking his head.  “I’ll let my parents know.  I’ve gotta grab another futon for you too – I doubt you want to sleep in the closet with Ted.”

“And why wouldn’t sensei?” Teddie demanded from where he was lounging on Yosuke’s bed.  He had been distracting all night, bored by their studying, and Yosuke had been surprisingly getting fed up instead of taking the opportunity to avoid studying like he usually did.  Yu was surprised by the change of heart, but wasn’t going to say anything because he knew it would make Yosuke self-conscious.  “My fur could certainly keep sensei warmer than your bed!”

“Whoever said anything about Yu sleeping in my bed?” Yosuke said with a huff, face suddenly bright red.  He then quickly disappeared downstairs, not catching the similar blush that had suddenly crept up on Yu’s face.

“Are you sure you don’t want to snuggle up with moi, sensei?” Teddie asked eagerly, and Yu shook his head.

“I prefer having my own space,” he replied, not wanting to hurt Teddie’s feelings.

Teddie let out a huff and muttered under his breath, “You’d change your mind if it was Yosuke’s bed,” before heading over to his space in the closet to change before bed.

Yu pretended not to hear Teddie, although deep down he had to admit he was right.  He let out a sigh and sat on Yosuke’s bed while he waited for him to return with another futon.  A few minutes later, he popped back into the room, carrying the futon, blankets, and a pillow for him.  Yu helped him set it up, before Yosuke went over to his dresser and rummaged through it, tossing a set of pajama pants and a t-shirt at Yu.  “You can borrow these to sleep in,” Yosuke explained.  The pajama pants were red while the shirt was one of his white tees with the red v-neck and sleeves he often wore.  Yu caught both effortlessly, before turning his back to Yosuke in order to change.

Behind him, he heard Yosuke shuffling through his drawer, probably in order to pick out what he would be sleeping in, and Yu soon finished changing, feeling slightly uncomfortable.  Yosuke was a little shorter than he was so his clothes were a bit tight fitting, although he was surprised that the pajama pants were actually long enough; he figured they must be a bit long on the brunet.  Also, Yu was definitely not used to wearing such a bright color, since he usually stuck to something more muted. 

He turned back around to see Yosuke pull off his shirt, leaving on his undershirt to sleep in.  He had also switched to a pair of orange sweats with white Adidas stripes along the side.  Yosuke looked up at him and stared for a long moment, causing Yu to tilt his head slightly as he climbed under the covers on the futon.  Before he could say anything, however, Teddie immediately began to whine from the closet, “Sensei smells weird now,” causing Yosuke to toss a pillow at the door.

“What’s that supposed to mean, you dumb bear?” he asked.

“Sensei’s smell is mixed with yours,” Teddie replied, sticking his head out the door and sniffing.  He turned to look at Yu who looked amused.  “And he looks weird in your clothes!”

“I kind of like it,” Yosuke muttered under his breath, before turning off the light and carefully stepping around Yu so he could climb into his own bed.  “Don’t listen to him, Yu, you look fine.”

Yu thought for a moment before teasing, “You certainly seemed to think I looked fine a few minutes ago,” and this time he got a pillow tossed at him instead.  He grinned and clutched it to his chest, until Yosuke began whining for him to give it back.  Yu returned it a bit unwillingly, for the pillow smelled like Yosuke and he had been enjoying snuggling with it.  He had to settle for burying his nose in Yosuke’s shirt instead, deciding he quite enjoyed that aspect of wearing Yosuke’s clothes, regardless of if Teddie thought he smelled weird or not. 

As he drifted off to sleep, comforted by his partner’s scent, Yosuke was wide awake in his bed, glancing over occasionally.  He had not expected his reaction to seeing Yu in his clothes.  Because they were a bit tighter on him, they hugged his body more snugly and he could see the outline of Yu’s tone chest through the shirt, along with more of his neck that was usually hidden by his popped collar.  And it looked really good.  ‘I need to get partner to wear more color too,’ Yosuke decided, because it was nice seeing him wear something completely different.  Yosuke had to also admit the fact Yu was wearing _his_ clothes was appealing in a way he wasn’t prepared for.  Yosuke rolled over to face the wall, frowning again at Teddie’s comment earlier.  ‘What’s wrong with Yu smelling like me?’ he thought defensively.  ‘And he doesn’t look weird in my clothes either!’ 

Yosuke pouted for a few moments before sighing internally.  It was getting harder and harder to come up with an excuse for how attractive he found his best friend, and tonight may very well have been the tipping point.  He groaned quietly into his pillow, especially when he remembered the fact Yu had caught on to his ogling earlier.  ‘The issue here is he’s not wrong.  I do think he looks ‘fine,’” Yosuke admitted to himself.  He ran his hand roughly through his hair, before deciding not to worry about it anymore tonight.  He closed his eyes, trying not to think about the fact his time left with Yu before he left Inaba was now limited.  He eventually dozed off to the sound of the rain pouring outside with visions of Yu’s exposed neck and tight-fitting shirt fresh in his mind.


	5. After School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yu lists how Yosuke's true strengths come out in his after school activities.

Yu was over at Yosuke’s house, both boys sitting at the small table in Yosuke’s room with their homework spread across the table.  Yosuke had become more focused on studying after their fight on the riverbank several weeks ago, saying that if he was going to be equals with Yu he had to put more effort into it.  Yu wanted to tell him that it wasn’t necessary, but he also realized he needed to respect Yosuke’s feelings as well.  Yosuke threw down his mechanical pencil with a huff and leaned back in order to stretch, frowning to himself.  “I just don’t know how I’m going to catch up to you, partner,” he sighed.  “You’re so far ahead.”

Yu looked at Yosuke thoughtfully.  “Honestly,” he said carefully.  “I already see us as on even ground.”

Yosuke let out a snort.  “There’s no way you and I are on even footing,” he replied.  “Look at your grades.  And you basically excel at everything you try.”

Yu frowned.  “Those are all academic achievements though.  There are things you excel at too.”

“Like what?” Yosuke replied, obviously seeming to think Yu wouldn’t have an answer.  However, this is something Yu had been thinking about for awhile, so he was fully prepared.

“To start with, your work ethic,” Yu replied steadfastly.  Yosuke looked surprised at his fast reply and he began nervously spinning his pencil in his hand.

“All I do is complain about work,” he shot back, and Yu shook his head.

“You may complain to us, but I’ve seen the pride you take in your work.  You’re never late, when you’re at the job you don’t slack off, although you’re not a manager you still take on that role because of your dad,” Yu mused.  “You don’t have to but you take pride in your store and in the hard work your dad has put into it.  You don’t want to let him down and it shows.  It’s why even workers older than you go to you for guidance all the time.”

Yosuke blushed furiously and Yu could tell he didn’t know what to say.  He probably hadn’t realized Yu had noticed all of those things.  “If you were interested, you’d probably be a great manager yourself one day,” Yu mused.  “Because you can relate to those around you.”

“I mean, you’re a great leader too,” Yosuke protested, and Yu grinned.

“Doesn’t that put us on even footing then?” he asked casually.

“I’m not as good as you,” Yosuke insisted, and Yu shook his head.

“I have to disagree with that as well,” he explained.  “Everyone sees me as a leader, right?” he asked.  “But the person I relied on this whole time was you.  The rest of the team as well, but you primarily,” he explained.  “Your instincts with the case have really helped guide us along the way, and I know if something happened to me,” he started to say, noticing Yosuke flinch at the implication, clenching his pencil in his hand while looking upset at the idea, “you would take over without any issue.  You could lead just as well as me, and in fact would probably be better in certain ways.”

“What do you mean?” Yosuke asked.

“Once you have resolved to do something, you move forward quickly and set it in motion,” Yu explained.  “Even after I’ve made a decision, I can sometimes be slower to act.”

“You’re just careful,” Yosuke replied.  “Acting too fast can get us into trouble.”

“Or it can stop us from stalling and being unable to move forward,” Yu countered.  “So again, we’re on even footing.”

Yosuke opened and closed his mouth again, unable to come up with an answer.  Yu pushed forward.  “During battles as well.  I rely on you to back me up and know you’ll never let me down.”

“Of course,” Yosuke nodded.  This was one area he wasn’t going to argue with him on.  Protecting Yu and the rest of the team was something that was really important to him.

Yu smiled, almost to himself.  “You really do look cool out there – you move so quickly and effortlessly.  Sometimes I’m a little jealous myself.”

Yosuke felt himself begin to blush again, before he retorted, “You look cool too.  Calmly holding your ground as you direct all of us during each fight.  It’s hard not to feel confident with you there.”

It was Yu’s turn to flush at the compliment, for Yosuke had said it so sincerely that it had made his heart skip for a moment.  ‘This is about Yosuke right now though,’ he thought, gathering himself back together to continue. 

“Now, there’s one place where I can sincerely argue you are better than I am,” Yu said firmly, watching Yosuke as he said it.

Yosuke’s brows furrowed a bit.  “I’m not sure what you mean,” he said.

“Your compassion for others,” Yu replied, and Yosuke frowned.  Before he could retort, however, Yu continued.  “I don’t think I could be as kind and thoughtful as you are to the people of the shopping district, not with how they treat you.”

Yosuke looked down, placing his hand in his lap.  He ran the other hand along the back of his neck before saying, “But you’re nice to everyone, Yu.”

Yu shook his head.  “I don’t want to be nice to them most of the time.  I only hold back for your sake.”

Yosuke looked uncomfortable, but Yu felt the need to continue.  “Your understanding for why they treat you the way they do, it’s mature in a way beyond my understanding,” he explained.  “And I respect you for that which is why I don’t tell them off when I really wish I could.”  Yosuke glanced up at him, his expression unreadable.  “And it’s not just them.  You took in Teddie so he could have a place to stay and not feel lonely.  You may bicker with the others on the team but you’re the first to help when they need it.  Everyone knows you’re the most self-less one here, even if you pretend otherwise.”

Yosuke was still staring, hand still resting on the back of his neck while he processed what Yu was saying.  “In that way, you’re a better person than I am.  I wish, in fact, you’d be a little more selfish sometimes.”

Yosuke let out a shaky sigh, finally moving his hand and placing it on the table.  He began lightly drumming his fingers, obviously trying to come up with a response.  “I mean…you can be selfish for me,” he said, voice cracking slightly.  It was obvious he was a little emotional but was holding it in.

Yu raised an eyebrow.  “That’s not what I’m trying to say,” he replied.  “I want you to learn to hold yourself in higher regard.”

“Yeah, I get that.  It’s something I’m working on,” Yosuke replied, trying to find the right words.  “But at the same time, partners rely on each other, right?  Maybe this can be the thing you do for me.”  He was still a bit flushed and was shifting uncomfortably as he said it, and Yu pondered over the meaning of his words.

Oh.  Yosuke wanted him to be selfish on his behalf.  Speak up for him as Yosuke learned to do the same for himself.  And maybe…Yu looked thoughtfully at Yosuke.  Be selfish for _them_ as well.  Yu definitely thought he could handle it.  “Ok…” he replied carefully, noticing Yosuke’s hesitant grin.  “I think I can do that.”

Yosuke smiled warmly at him, and Yu embraced the butterflies in his stomach that occurred as a response.  “Do you know what you can do for me then?” Yu countered, and Yosuke tilted his head slightly.

“I want you to be selfish too.  For what you want.”  Yu looked at him straightforwardly as he said it, and Yosuke sucked in his breath.  “Whenever you decide what that is…I’ll be waiting patiently to hear it.”

“I promise,” Yosuke said quickly, and Yu smiled back.  They then went back to studying, although Yu could feel Yosuke occasionally glance at him with a thoughtful look on his face.  Yu was definitely very interested to find out what Yosuke’s selfish desire was, and couldn’t wait until Yosuke had enough courage to let him know.


	6. Shadow Ops

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So I don't actually know anything about Shadow Ops and decided to switch things up and write an FBI AU instead. I will be updating tags for this one because there is some violence and discussion of violent cases - about what you would expect watching an episode of Criminal Minds on CBS (which was partially where I got some ideas along with a podcast I listen to Real Crime Profile).

Yosuke was leaning at his desk, tapping his fingers unconsciously as he read through some case files.  His team was supposed to be getting a new agent today, and as the senior field agent on the team he knew it would be his job to show the newbie the ropes.  Although Yosuke was pretty young himself, he had extensive police experience in his background and had been with the FBI longer than most of the people on his team.  Only their actual boss, Ryotaro Dojima, had been there longer.  Apparently, the new recruit was his nephew who was supposed to be brilliant and had some specialized degree that was going to round out the team.  He had just graduated and was recruited directly from the school…which meant he had no practical experience. 

Yosuke wasn’t really looking forward to it, if he was honest.  The intellectual types in the bureau were generally difficult for him to work with because most were know-it-alls but didn’t have the instincts he had picked up from years in the field.  While their knowledge had its uses, they tended to make lots of small mistakes that hindered the investigation until they were more seasoned, and sometimes Yosuke lacked the patience to deal with that.  He sighed, setting down the file he was reading through, before he heard Dojima clear his throat behind him while saying, “Team, gather round, I have someone to introduce you to.”

Yosuke’s face blanched a bit but he stood up, plastering a smile on his face as he turned around.  Dojima’s nephew was tall with silver gray hair and eyes (either he had grayed early or the bureau was letting people dye their hair now) and he was neatly dressed in dress pants, a button up, sweater vest and tie.  Yosuke inwardly shook his head.  He even looked like a college professor.  Yosuke was dressed in a button up and jeans held up with a belt; since they were field agents they didn’t always have to dress so formally although some people still chose to.  “Team this is Dr. Yu Narukami who will be joining you today.  He comes with high recommendations from the recruiting staff along with myself.  I’ll be transparent with you – he is my nephew but I promise to show no favoritism for the short amount of time I’m still over you.”  Dojima had recently been promoted and was only sticking with the team until they found a replacement for him.

“Yu, this is Yosuke Hanamura.  He’s our senior special agent and will be showing you the ropes,” Dojima explained.  Yosuke made sure to shoot him his friendly, welcoming grin before holding out his hand.  He was surprised by Yu’s firm grip when he shook it; looked like he had been staying in shape while going to school.

“Nice to meet you,” Yosuke welcomed. 

“Nice to meet you, too,” he replied, gray eyes cool and calm.  It threw Yosuke off, for he was used to new recruits looking more nervous.

“Also on the team is Yukiko Amagi, our PR special agent, Special Agent Chie Satonaka, Special Agent Kanji Tatsumi, Special Agent Naoto Shirogane, and not with us at the moment is Special Agent Rise Kujikawa.  She’s the one you call to research information while you’re on the field,” Dojima said, introducing each person in turn. 

Chie and Kanji were like Yosuke in that they had been recruited directly from the field and had practical experience.  Naoto actually came from New Scotland Yard and was training with the FBI to bring skills back to her department; she was a brilliant detective and Yosuke had a lot of respect for her.  Yukiko had more of an academic background but had grown really efficient in her role and was very professional.  Rise, on the other hand, was a chipper and upbeat girl that didn’t really fit the personality of the bureau but was sharp when it came to data mining.  She didn’t have a lot of specific schooling for computer science but was self-taught and gained recognition when she beat teams from MIT and other schools of math and science at various coding competitions.  Thus, she had been recruited for her specific skill set.  Yosuke had to admit, they already had a very good team, and he was curious what Dojima’s nephew would bring to the table. 

For now, however, Dojima wrapped up his introduction and instructed Yosuke to show Yu around, and said he’d be bringing them a case to work on after his debriefing in a few minutes.  Yosuke nodded before motioning Yu over to join him.  “So, Dr. Narukami, huh?” Yosuke asked, already feeling uncomfortable but trying to play it off with a teasing tone.

Yu blushed slightly.  “You don’t have to call me that.  Yu is fine…”

Yosuke shook his head.  “If you want to gain respect quickly, it’s better to call you by your title until you have more experience,” he pointed out.  “Plus, we all go by each other’s last name anyway.”

Yu looked at him thoughtfully.  “You’re the senior field agent, but you don’t look much older than the others on the team,” he replied.

“Ah, I’ve just been with the FBI longer,” Yosuke admitted.  “I was recruited from a younger age from the LAPD.”

Yu’s eyebrows raised.  “That’s very impressive,” he admitted.

“So is having a PhD,” Yosuke pointed out, and Yu shrugged.  “May I ask what your degree is in?”

Yu looked amused, since Dojima had actually brought it up earlier.  It was obvious Yosuke hadn’t fully paid attention.  He didn’t call him out on it though.  “Psychology and behavioral analysis,” he explained, and Yosuke suddenly understood what he would be bringing to the team.  Naoto already did it to an extent, but if he was an expert he would be doing some of what the BAU unit did with their cases.

“Maybe you can teach me a few things too then,” Yosuke replied, and Yu chuckled.

“I’m sure with your experience you’ll be teaching me a lot more,” he admitted.  Yosuke nervously ran a hand along the back of his head, surprised by how different Yu was than what he had expected.  He thought he was going to be one of those haughty intellectuals who looked down on his practical experience, and here he was humbly acknowledging it.  Hell, Yosuke may actually be growing to like the guy a little bit, and that was the last thing he had expected to happen.

“Well, let’s get started on this tour, shall we?” he asked.  “Here’s my desk and that empty one next to it will be your new home.”  As he walked Yu through the main areas he would be working at, he noticed that the young man was definitely on the quiet side and seemed content to listen to Yosuke ramble next to him.  He chuckled at some of Yosuke’s jokes and commentary, which surprised him since most of the team tended to ignore him (a point of contention since he was the senior special agent).  And on top of that, Yosuke could tell that he was paying close attention and observing the whole time, good traits for someone that would soon be thrust out on the field.  He would probably pick up on things quickly, as long as he was able to apply and work through his observations in a practical way.  Maybe things wouldn’t be so bad after all.

Not long after giving the tour, Yosuke brought Yu to the conference room where the rest of the team was gathered and waiting for Dojima to arrive with their case.  They had just gotten back to the bureau a few days ago after wrapping up their last one so it was time for something new.  When Dojima walked in, he had a solemn look on his face.  He sat a thick file folder in the middle of the table before remaining standing with one arm holding the other and his free hand holding his chin.  It was obvious he was at a loss at how to start.

“For the case I’ve selected today,” he started slowly, looking troubled.  “We have a lot of work ahead of us.  And due to how local law enforcement has managed to bungle things…there’s a good chance we may not succeed.”  He looked at each of them in turn, a serious expression on his face.  “But this situation is dangerous and we need to do all we can in order to bring this guy in.”

“What does this case entail, sir?” Naoto asked.  She looked surprised at how solemn he was.

Dojima let out a deep sigh before finally sitting down.  “There’s a series of murders that have been going on in Louisiana around the bayous.  They’re all young men, many of them transient, although from what I gather so far there doesn’t seem to be a specific type with the victimology,” he explained.  Everyone listened attentively.  Yu glanced over at Yosuke and noted that while he had seemed lost in thought during his introduction, he was now focused with a serious expression on his face.

“Apparently, because they’ve been occurring in different parishes, local police didn’t think any of the cases were related.  This has been going on for months and not one person thought to link any of the cases.  While the victims appear to be random, the disposal of their bodies and the methodology appear to be pretty consistent.  Each of them was dumped near a bayou, but visible from the road.  They were all stripped of their clothes and left out in the open.”  Dojima’s body was tense, and they could tell that he looked pretty upset about the case.  “Most are young men – early 20s, but some were teens.”  Dojima had a daughter and usually took cases involving children more personally.

“What caused the locals to finally decide to link the cases and bring us in?” Yosuke asked curiously.

“Well, someone finally survived being abducted,” Dojima explained, sliding the case file over to him.  “The kid’s name is Teddie.  He’s 19 and basically lives on his own.  You can read his statement there.  The short of it is he left a local club with a strange man who was promising alcohol and a fun time at his place, but once they got into the car the kid began to feel uneasy.  I think he spotted rope and ties in the back seat.  So, when they stopped, he tried to run and had to fight the guy off.  Got beat up a bit but managed to get away.  That particular parish was already investigating one of the murders and decided to reach out to surrounding areas to see if they had any information.  That’s when they realized how bad things had gotten.”

Yosuke was reading over the witness statement, jaw set as he skimmed over the details.  He always hated reading about the terror they were going through, even if by this point he had grown desensitized to certain things about the job.  Everyone was slowly going through the case file, reading through the materials and discussing things that stood out amongst themselves.  That’s when Yu spoke up.  “So, are we going to create a profile?” he asked, and everyone grew quiet for a moment.  He looked confused by their reactions, which led to Yosuke speaking up.

“We honestly can’t really form a profile yet with this information.  We need to research each of the victims first,” he explained.

He looked at the others for help, and Yukiko fortunately stepped in.  “I come from the same background you do, so I understand where you’re coming from,” she explained.  “In class we all theorize with limited information since it’s an academic setting.  But I had to learn on the field we need to gather more evidence for the victimology first.  That means speaking to people who knew the victims and researching the events up until the point they disappeared.  If we try to form a profile with the information we have currently, we’ll either start on the wrong path or we’ll get stuck on the wrong profile and try to focus on information to fit it instead of the other way around.”

“I used to do that a lot myself when I started out,” Chie explained.  “I had to learn to do the work first before jumping to conclusions.”  Everyone looked encouraging, even though Yu looked a bit embarrassed. 

Rise, who had joined them for the meeting, turned to Dojima.  “Where would you like me to start?” she asked.

“I would usually have you map where the victims were snatched or dumped to try to find a central point…but in this case they’re too far apart so that won’t work.  Instead, try to find as much as you can about each victim and see if there are any common characteristics at all.”

Rise nodded and headed out of the conference room so she could get to her office to get to work.  “The rest of you will be joining me on a flight to Louisiana.” 

Once they arrived, Dojima set them to work, splitting them into different teams to gather intel.  Naoto and Yukiko started by going to interview Teddie, a surprisingly friendly blond who seemed to be recovering from his traumatic experience.  They were trying to gather as much information as they could that they couldn’t get from simply reading a statement.  Chie and Kanji were on one team while Yosuke and Yu were on another and their focus was on gathering information on the rest of the victims.  This was difficult work since many of the victims were transient and didn’t have a whole lot of background or people close to them to go to for information.  They took whatever information Rise was able to gather for them and split the victim list and went to work.  Dojima, meanwhile, worked with local law enforcement to see what evidence they had in order to bring everything together.

After several days of hard work, they seemed to have finally pieced enough information together to form a profile of their unsub.  They determined he had to be between 30-45 based on Teddie’s description and other witness reports.  He didn’t seem to appear very strong, so it’s possible he was manipulating people to allow him to tie them up before murdering them; it was highly indicative that the murders were sexual in nature.  And since the victims did not have any characteristics tying them together other than being high risk, it appeared they were all victims of opportunity as opposed to a specific preference.  Once they had a profile set up, Yukiko began her work of disseminating the information to law enforcement and the public.

By this point, Yosuke and Yu were getting along pretty well.  There had been a few hiccups here and there – several related to Yu’s inexperience but a few from Yosuke’s unfortunate ability to sometimes speak before thinking – but overall Yu’s ability to draw people out to speak comfortably with him, and Yosuke’s natural instincts that allowed them to chase worthwhile leads were quickly turning them into a well-balanced team.  Dojima seemed pretty pleased by it, because Yosuke had a tendency to go off on his own which didn’t always set a good example for the other special agents.  Since he was mentoring Yu, he seemed more cognizant of his role as the senior agent and was gaining a bit more respect from the others as a result.

After more days of chasing leads and gathering intel, they finally had a few suspects drummed up, and Yosuke and Yu were being sent to interview one of them.  He fit the description of the profile, was verified to have been at several of the locations where victims went missing, was kicked out of the police academy for insubordination, and while he didn’t have a record the people they talked to said he was sleazy and fit the profile as being manipulative.  Dojima was currently gathering pictures together and preparing to show them to Teddie to see which one he picked out of a lineup; that could also help them pinpoint if they were on the right track.  When Yosuke pulled up to the suspect’s house, he noticed that there wasn’t a car in the driveway.  They had picked Adachi’s off day to swing by and they were pretty early, so it was surprising that he was gone already.

“What do we do?” Yu asked.

“We wait,” Yosuke said with a shrug.  He drove further up the street and parked at a spot that wasn’t directly in front of someone’s house in order to appear less suspicious.  He then pulled out his phone and sent a text to the rest of the team before leaning back and relaxing.  There was no knowing how long this would take.  They sat there for a few hours, using the rear and side view mirrors to keep an eye on Adachi’s house as they chatted.  Shortly after a car finally pulled up to the house and a brunet man matching the description of the suspect stepped out and went to check his mail, Yosuke got a text message from Dojima asking if they had talked to the suspect yet.

Yosuke messaged back that they hadn’t but he had just gotten home, and was surprised to suddenly get a phone call.  “The kid picked this guy out of the lineup, and we just secured a warrant for his arrest.  You think you and Narukami can handle him or do you want to wait for backup?”

Yosuke eyed Adachi, who obviously had some dirt on his shoes and the bottom of his pants, along with what looked like a long scratch on his arm.  He felt his stomach knot angrily as he suddenly wondered if the man had returned from dumping yet another victim.  However.  Yosuke glanced at Yu who was listening in.  Yu was still new and it was possible the suspect could become dangerous.  While it would be a great experience to have his first arrest under his belt, they were currently in unknown territory.  If Adachi wasn’t able to manipulate someone into allowing him to tie them up…it was highly likely he had a gun for backup.  “We may need to wait…” he said slowly, surprised when Yu turned and narrowed his eyes at him.

“Why would we wait when there’s two of us right here?” he hissed.  “Shouldn’t we go ahead and apprehend him?”

Dojima appeared to hear his nephew and was silent for a moment.  “You may be right, Hanamura,” he started to say, but to Yosuke’s surprise Yu rashly opened the door.

“Shit, sir, looks like we’re going.  I’ll talk to you later,” Yosuke said, quickly hanging up to Dojima’s insistence that he explain himself.

Yu walked resolutely toward Adachi who had just turned to head in toward his house.  Yosuke dashed after him, trying to grab Yu and pull him back, but he ignored him and stubbornly continued forward.  Yosuke frowned, realizing at this point that it was too late and he’d have to go along with him.

“Adachi Tohru?” he called, and the brunet looked up at him.  He took one look at the two of them – Yu in his vest, tie, and slacks and Yosuke in his v-neck shirt and jeans, and his eyes trailed down to their holsters and the badges clipped to their belts.  Then, he immediately bolted.

“Ah, crap,” Yosuke said, immediately charging after him.  “Hey, FBI!  We have a warrant for your arrest!” he shouted as Adachi dashed into his house. 

Once he made it inside Yosuke immediately slowed down and pulled out his gun, yanking Yu back when he tried to dash past him.  “It’s dangerous,” he snapped.  “Stay behind me.”  His heart was pounding.  Although Yu had passed his firearms test, he had never been in a real life situation where he had to use a gun before.  Or had someone potentially trying to use one against him.

Yosuke took a deep breath and slowly approached the house, Yu walking close behind him, as he kept a vigilant eye for any movement at the windows.  It was dead quiet, and Yosuke wondered if the neighbors had heard him shout and were staying inside as a result.  He also hoped Dojima was on his way with backup.  Yosuke approached the door, which was still slightly ajar, and carefully nudged it forward, standing to the side just in case.  After carefully checking for any movement he stepped into the house, weapon ready and head swiveling.  Yu looked apologetic at this point as he followed him, beginning to realize why Yosuke had been so cautious about going in alone.  He also had his gun ready and in the proper position, and Yosuke was impressed to see that in spite of the situation his hands were steady.  Yosuke nodded his head toward an opening in the hallway that appeared to head to the kitchen, and Yu positioned himself on the inside of the wall.  He carefully glanced his head around the wall and after looking carefully around he stepped inside and made a sweep of the kitchen and dining room.  “Clear!” he called, as Yosuke’s heart pounded with adrenaline.

Yosuke then made his way further down the hall, noticing a shut door that probably led to a living room or den of some sort.  Yu was coming up behind him again as Yosuke readied himself for what he had to do next. He kicked the door open and just managed to notice Adachi holding a weapon and quickly stepped back as a stream of bullets unleashed where he had been standing.  One managed to graze his arm, and Yosuke gritted his teeth against the pain, trying to ignore the warm, sticky blood began to drip from the wound.  Yu’s eyes widened in alarm, and Yosuke quickly shook his head.  Now was the time to focus.  “You know you’re not going to be able to shoot your way out of this,” Yosuke called.  “We both have guns and backup on the way.  It’s easier for you if you come quietly!”

All he could hear from the inside of the room was low laughter.  “I don’t think so,” the man finally said.  “I know what tricks you cops play.  It’s people like you that got me kicked out from the academy!”

To Yosuke’s surprise, Yu suddenly placed an arm on his shoulder and pulled him back in order to step by him.  Yosuke tried to tug him back, but Yu shook his head before mouthing, “Let me handle this.”

Yosuke’s brows furrowed but he decided to give Yu a chance.  “I thought that was your own incompetence?” he called out, and Yosuke winced.

It was silent for a moment before another shot rang out, blasting through the door.  “That’s what they want you to think,” the voice said haughtily.

“Is that why you did it?” Yu asked.  “For revenge?  You wanted to create a case that the police were too incompetent to solve?  Because you knew there were others that made it through the academy that didn’t deserve it, right?”

Yosuke watched Yu quietly, a little impressed.  In the other room Adachi sneered.  “You know, you’re right about that, but that’s not why I did it.  I was merely bored,” he taunted.

Yosuke rolled his eyes.  “If you were bored, what’s with the sexual nature of the crime?” he called out, and there was another bullet fired in response.  This one blasted through the wall and almost hit Yosuke again.

“Who said there was a sexual nature?” Adachi asked, and this time his voice just sounded nasty.  “I didn’t do anything to those losers!”

“The method of murder and prostration of the bodies says otherwise,” Yu replied, voice calm and collected.  “It appears in the end you were using murder because deep down you were disgusted with yourself.”

Another shot fired out, and Adachi furiously yelled, “Fuck you!”

To Yosuke’s relief, he began to hear the distant sound of sirens as backup headed their way, and he shouted, “May as well lay down your weapon now, because you’re about to have company!”

It was silent again, and Yu peered around the door carefully to see Adachi walking over to the window.  He quickly stepped away as the man turned back around, gun drawn.  Yu yanked Yosuke forward, Yosuke yelping as his arm felt inflamed in process, and they both barely missed getting hit as Adachi fired two shots through the wall where they had been standing.  That’s when Yosuke made his move.  “That was nine rounds,” he said, before barreling through the door and tackling the surprised suspect to the floor.  Even with his injured arm, he managed to overpower him and force him down as Yu came up behind him with handcuffs.  Yosuke read Adachi his rights as Dojima, Kanji, and Chie burst into the room, guns also drawn after hearing the gunshots.  Yosuke stepped off of Adachi as Dojima and Kanji came forward to grab Adachi to take him away.  “You and I are going to have a long conversation,” Dojima said to Yosuke who winced.

“But it was my fault!” Yu protested, and Yosuke shook his head.

“As the senior agent, I take responsibility,” he explained, wincing as Chie noticed his injury and grabbed his arm.

“I can’t believe how reckless you are,” she admonished, while carefully eyeing the wound.  “C’mon, I’ve got a first aid kit in the car.  You may need to get stitches for that though…”

Yosuke didn’t look happy at the idea, but hesitated to follow her when he noticed Yu standing still with a guilty expression on his face.  “Hey, it’s a learning experience.  We all make mistakes,” Yosuke explained.

“Yeah but my mistake is getting you in trouble and also got you injured,” Yu replied.  “Maybe I’m not cut out for this after all.”

“Hey, we got him, didn’t we?” Yosuke asked.  “And I’ve gotta admit, I was pretty impressed that you managed to stay calm the whole time.  And how you talked him down?  That takes guts.”  Yosuke reached forward and squeezed Yu’s shoulder reassuringly.  “You’ll just owe me one next time, partner.”

Yu’s eyebrows raised, for Yosuke had never called him that before.  A shy smile graced his face.  “Whatever my uncle makes you do, I’ll help.  Partner.”

Yosuke grinned before heading outside, steeling himself to receive first aide from Chie.  She wasn’t exactly known for being gentle.  Yu followed him, watching Yosuke with admiration as he walked ahead of him.  He was impressed by Yosuke and how he took on responsibility, even if he often tried to downplay it.  This was definitely a man Yu could respect, and he couldn’t wait to learn even more from his partner in the years ahead.


	7. Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 7 of Souyowrimo has the theme of stars. I decided to go a different route and kind of follow the theme loosely - you'll see when you read ^^. Yu is studying for his civil servant exam and is annoyed by his very noisy neighbor~

Yu had his text book out and was dutifully scribbling down notes as he studied for his civil service exam.  It was still months away but it was important enough that his parents had set him up in an apartment near a prestigious cram school that boasted high numbers of students who passed the exam at wich he dutifully attended every day.  He wasn’t even working so his sole focus could be on studying.  He already graduated from a prestigious university so if he passed the exam, he would be guaranteed a coveted government position that would set him up for life and make his parents proud.  Yu wasn’t really sure if it was what he wanted, but he didn’t mind it and had always enjoyed studying, so he figured if it made his parent’s happy who was he to argue?

His apartment was large and spacious and located in a particularly nice part of Tokyo; his parents had money and had certainly not skimped on the expense.  When he took the occasional break from studying there were a lot of things to do in the area and since it was definitely populated by people with money, the district he lived in was very nice looking and comfortable as well.  In fact, there was practically nothing Yu could think of to complain about with his current lifestyle...with one solitary exception.  His neighbor upstairs. 

Yu let out a sigh before setting down his mechanical pencil and glaring up at the ceiling above him.  It yet again sounded like his neighbor was hosting a party, and he could practically feel the vibration from the music thrumming in his chest.  Even with headphones it was incredibly distracting, and Yu couldn’t stand it.  He had only fleetingly seen the young man above him, and based on his clothes which seemed to consist of ripped jeans and oversized hoodies, Yu couldn’t understand how he could afford to live here.  Maybe he had rich parents too, although Yu was surprised they would let him dress the way he did.  His own parents always insisted he at least wore a polo.

Yu threw down his pencil in annoyance and stood up, finally deciding this was the last straw.  He took off his headphones, wincing at the noise and wondering how it didn’t distract any of the other neighbors, before stepping outside.  To his surprise, the noise was much quieter in the hallway, and his eyes narrowed in confusion.  While it explained why none of the other neighbors complained, it still didn’t resolve his own issue.  Yu made his way up the stairs, dutifully buttoning his sweater vest and adjusting the glasses he used to read, before stopping at the door above his.  He knocked, wondering if his neighbor would even be able to hear it above the noise, before reaching for the buzzer.  Just as he was about to ring, he was startled as the door suddenly swung open, leaving him face to face with his neighbor for the first time.  His brown eyes were dancing with excitement and his cheeks were flushed, probably from dancing.  His bangs were sticking to his forehead from sweat and he was wearing a t-shirt for some band along with his usual ripped skinny jeans.  He eyed Yu in confusion, obviously trying to place where he recognized him from, before a wide smile graced his face.  “Hey, you’re my downstairs neighbor, right?” he greeted.  “What brings you to my humble abode?”  He closed his door behind him, immediately silencing the sound, as if he was trying not to disturb anyone else.  Yu had indeed spotted people dancing inside, which meant his guess about his neighbor throwing parties was correct.  However, his neighbor’s attitude and the fact the sound wasn’t as loud up here was throwing him off.

So, Yu did the only thing he could think of.  “I need you to hear something,” he said, before abruptly turning and heading down the stairs.  His neighbor looked a bit confused and glanced back toward his apartment before shrugging and good naturedly following him.  They were soon in front of Yu’s door, and he used his hand to cover it as he punched in his keycode to get into his apartment.  The moment his door swung open, his neighbor’s eyes widened in surprise.  He could clearly hear the sound from upstairs. 

“Dude, I am so sorry.  I had the apartment soundproofed, so I had no idea I was bothering anyone,” he immediately apologized.  “I’ll go turn it down right now!”

He then immediately dashed upstairs, looking embarrassed, and Yu couldn’t help but suddenly feel a little bit like an ass.  Soon, the sound quieted to a manageable hum, and his thoughts were interrupted by his door buzzing.  He checked the camera before quickly swinging it open, revealing his neighbor who was panting from dashing up and down the stairs.  “Is that better?” he asked, glancing up at Yu hopefully.

“Yeah.  Thanks,” Yu replied.

“You should have told me earlier.  Man, I feel like such an ass…” he said, ruefully scratching the back of his head.

“No, I was an ass for how I brought it up,” Yu said sincerely.  “I didn’t realize I was the only one who could hear it.”

The brunet tilted his head thoughtfully.  “Is it just the parties?” he asked, and Yu suddenly shifted uncomfortably.

“No…” he admitted.  “I can sometimes hear guitar too…”  He admittedly never minded that – the guitarwork always sounded beautiful, and it often aided him on a long night studying.

His neighbor flushed in embarrassment.  “Gah, I’ll have to make sure I’m in my studio…” he said more to himself, and Yu immediately shook his head.

“No, I don’t mind that,” he quickly replied, not wanting to lose his late night muse.  His neighbor looked surprised by his reaction, before shyly giving a quick bow.

“The name’s Hanamura Yosuke, by the way,” he said, watching Yu carefully.

Hanamura was kind of a cute last name, but other than that nothing about it stood out to Yu.  “Narukami Yu,” he replied, bowing back to the perfect degree of politeness.  It had been instilled in him from a young age.

“Kind of funny we’ve been neighbors this whole time, yet never introduced ourselves,” Yosuke mused.  “Well, I’ve got to get back to my party.”  His eyes glanced around Yu’s apartment before meeting back at him.  “I feel like we’re around the same age, yeah?”

“I’m 25,” Yu replied, and Yosuke’s smile seemed to grow even bigger.

“We are the same age!” he said excitedly.  “Narukami-kun then.”

“Yu is fine,” Yu replied automatically, not knowing why.  Normally he didn’t try getting close to strangers, but something about Yosuke naturally drew him in.

“Yu-kun does sound better,” Yosuke agreed.  “We should totally hang out sometime.  Just knock if you feel like it.”  He gave Yu a friendly wink before heading out the door.  Yu couldn’t help but dumbly stare at the space formally occupied by the energetic brunet, suddenly feeling like something major in his world had just shifted.  And maybe just slightly excited about it.

It didn’t take Yu long to take him up on his offer, and soon he and Yosuke were hanging out several days a week.  It meant slacking off on studying a little, but Yu knew he was still going to be overly prepared for the exam and didn’t let it bother him.  Spending time with Yosuke was much more worthwhile.  They mainly hung out at Yu’s place or sometimes went out where Yosuke would take him to different parts of the city he would have never thought to visit before, and while he hadn’t been invited back to Yosuke’s place yet, he didn’t find it odd.  He figured it was messy (all those parties after all) or Yosuke was just more comfortable hanging out at his place with all of its amenities provided by his parents.  When they went out, Yu would occasionally notice some of the people around them seem to take notice of Yosuke, but he thought it was just because of how attractively energetic he was – it wasn’t like he didn’t naturally draw his own attention as well.

The only thing Yu couldn’t figure out was how Yosuke could afford that apartment.  He had mentioned his parents a few times, but it appeared like they didn’t come from money and his dad was a manager at a grocery store while his mom was stay at home; definitely not people that could afford his space.  Yosuke was always popping up at odd times of the day so Yu couldn’t imagine him having a steady job, and he didn’t appear to be a student either.  Any time he tried to curve the conversation to that topic, Yosuke would deftly run it off course, and while Yu was usually an expert at redirecting a conversation when it was an important topic, it seems he was no match for the wily brunet when he wanted to avoid something.  Yu took it in stride, however, since they hadn’t known each other very long and he didn’t want to pry too much if it made him uncomfortable.

It didn’t take Yu very long to realize that he was quickly forming a deep rooted crush on his neighbor, and he found himself one day pondering what to do about it after taking a practice test.  Yosuke was a fun guy and as far he could tell seemed pretty accepting, but he didn’t want to force his feelings on him and make him feel uncomfortable.  He enjoyed the time they spent together and appreciated that although his life probably seemed boring to his mysterious neighbor, he still seemed to enjoy spending time with him.  Yu’s eyes drifted toward his kitchen and his eyes suddenly lit up as an idea hit him. 

Yosuke was always bemoaning the fact that he often ate takeout – for some reason he couldn’t often go out to restaurants and apparently was limited when it came to cooking – and had talked recently about how much his missed his mother’s cooking.  Although Yu got to see him relatively often (there had been a week here and there where Yosuke was completely MIA however) he apparently was too busy to visit home and hadn’t seen his parents in over a year.  It was something they bonded over, although Yu hadn’t revealed that in his case it had been like that even as a kid, which is why he had picked up a particular skill that Yosuke would probably appreciate.  Yu hummed to himself as he grabbed his keys and headed out the door to buy some groceries, deciding on a staple meal in the Japanese household – curry.  After buying some chicken and vegetables, Yu headed back upstairs and got to work, soon having a pot simmering on the stove with the delicious smell of curry wafting in the air as he sent a text to Yosuke, hoping that he was home.  To his relief, he was, and he seemed excited at the idea of having a home cooked meal.

Once he arrived, he began sniffing in appreciation, before making a beeline toward the pot.  “You can cook?” he asked, lifting the lid and looking hungrily at the bubbling curry.

“Yeah.  I remember you missing your mother’s cooking so I thought you might appreciate this,” Yu said with a warm smile.  Yosuke glanced up at him from where he stood, his face half covered by the lid as his eyes traced his face.

“Yeah…I do actually,” he said before glancing back down at it and setting the lid back on.  He opened his mouth and shut it again before letting out a sigh.  There was obviously something on his mind.

Yu pondered his actions for a moment, before gathering his nerves and deciding to take a leap of faith.  “There’s actually a particular reason why I decided to make you dinner tonight,” he started hesitantly, cheeks lightly flushed.

Yosuke looked up at him, eyes watching carefully as he waited for him to continue.  Yu could almost taste the curiosity rolling off of him.  “I kind of…” Yu started then stopped, adjusting his speech.  His parents had always taught him to speak honestly and efficiently after all.  “I have feelings for you,” he said bluntly, then winced as he realized that it wasn’t a good way to go about it either.  He hesitantly opened his eyes, surprised by the mixed emotions that spread across Yosuke’s face.

At first, he looked ecstatic, but soon it morphed into dread, before changing to worry and ending on resignation.  “There’s…something I need to show you,” he said bashfully, and Yu raised an eyebrow.  He had imagined a few different scenarios when he imagined confessiong to Yosuke, but none were anything like this.

“Alright,” he quickly replied, before turning the stove off on the curry.  Although it was already on low he didn’t want to take any chances.  He then followed Yosuke upstairs, feeling a bit of anticipation as he keyed in his code and welcomed him inside.

Yu was surprised, because while it was a bit cluttered with lots of music, posters, and a few guitars scattered in the room, it was actually pretty well organized and not the mess he had been expecting.  Yosuke cleared his throat and Yu turned to look at him.  “Before we attempt anything like a relationship, I want to come clean,” Yosuke said.  “About who I am.  I kept hoping maybe you’d figure it out or see something, but I’ve pretty much become resigned to the fact you’re pretty blissfully unaware.”

Yu looked confused, but dutifully followed Yosuke to another room.  It was a small studio with perfectly soundproofed walls (it felt weird standing in there because Yu was suddenly aware of just _how_ different it sounded inside) and Yu could tell by the various equipment that it was used for music composition.  “So, you write music?” Yu asked, certain questions about Yosuke’s odd lifestyle suddenly clicking into place.

Yosuke groaned slightly, looking a little frustrated.  “Yeah, but it’s a bit more complicated than that.  Here, I think this will help you understand.”

Yosuke typed something into the laptop sitting in the studio before flipping it around until it faced Yu.  It was a YouTube video and when Yosuke hit play, everything soon became crystal clear to Yu.  Once the music started, he immediately recognized the guitarwork as something he had heard Yosuke play from downstairs, and moments later Yosuke himself showed up, glammed out in a stage outfit and wearing eyeliner which was definitely doing something to Yu’s groin.  Yu found himself entranced by it – it was one of those music videos that played concert clips, and as he watched the huge crowds cheer in appreciation for Yosuke’s music he began to understand why so many people stared at Yosuke when they went out, and why he always noticed people carrying those big cameras.  Yosuke was apparently a rock star and Yu, who had been living under a rock since his freshman year of college, had been blissfully unaware as Yosuke had said.  He had never listened to much modern day music growing up, so it wasn’t really much of a surprise.  However, he had found himself appreciating Yosuke’s guitarwork each time he practiced, and he suddenly wanted to go out and buy every single one of his albums and binge them.  He was also struck by how different Yosuke appeared on stage; in person he was bright and vivacious but on stage there was a certain power to his aura that Yu found a little overwhelming.

Once the song finished playing, Yu noticed Yosuke looking at him shyly and appearing more reserved than usual.  “So…?” he asked hesitantly, and Yu tilted his head curiously.  “Do…you still want to go out with me?”

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I?” Yu asked straightforwardly, and Yosuke laughed.

“Well, most of my relationships haven’t ended well.  You haven’t known me long enough to miss me when I’m touring.  And most people tend to get jealous of my fans or suspect me of cheating.”

Yu’s eyebrows furrowed.  “You’re not like that though,” he pointed out, and Yosuke beamed at him.  “Besides, while I’ll miss you while you’re touring, it’s more important to me that I support you and what you do.  I mean, I’ve only heard you practice up here but I can already tell how talented you are,” Yu replied honestly.  “And, it’s not like you’re somehow different, you know?” he said, before glancing back at the screen again.  “Although I have to admit…you look pretty hot on stage.”

Yosuke’s eyes bore into Yu’s at his confession, and a heat creeped into his gaze that Yu wasn’t expecting nor had seen before.  He suddenly imagined that same gaze lined by that smoky eyeliner from the stage, and he shifted uncomfortably as his pants began to feel a bit tight.  “You know, part of what held me off on coming clean this whole time was I liked the fact you didn’t know who I was and treated me like just another guy.  It was refreshing,” Yosuke confessed.  “But now,” he took a step forward, eyes trained on Yu, “I’m kind of glad I did.”  His grin was different from usual, more spicy than friendly, and Yosuke leaned forward before saying, “Let me know if you ever want a _private_ concert,” a bit gruffly into Yu’s ear.  He pulled away with a wink, and Yu felt his face flush.

Yosuke then hummed, another song Yu recognized, before saying, “Man, I’m really looking forward to that curry now.”  He turned to Yu, offering him his hand, and Yu shyly accepted it.

“I hope it doesn’t disappoint,” he replied smoothly, and Yosuke’s eyes twinkled.

“I doubt my boyfriend’s curry would ever disappoint me,” he replied cheerfully, before they headed back downstairs.


	8. Costumes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 8 for Souyowrimo has a costume theme. When Yu Narumura on Tumblr was trying to come up with costumes for Inktober last month, I suggested wizard for Yosuke with Yu as a black cat because it would be like Yu was Yosuke's familiar...and that's the basis for this story lol Also this is the NSFW one so you have been warned.

Yosuke pulled on his large wizard hat before looking himself over in the mirror, tilting his head so he could view it from different angles.  He adjusted his bangs until he was satisfied before pulling on his robe over his tunic and pants.  Yosuke would be putting on his boots when he was ready to go out the door.  He grabbed his broom before calling out to his partner who was changing in their room, “Ready yet?”

Yu popped his head in, black cat shaped ears clipped onto his gray hair, a large bell around his neck, and black clothes with fur along the neck and bottom of the sleeves.  He even had a tail pinned in the back to round it out.  “I told you the hat would look fine,” he teased, and Yosuke rolled his eyes.

“I still don’t get why you insisted on going as a cat,” Yosuke bemoaned.  “That’s so girly.”

“And here I thought you had developed into a more mature and understanding human being,” Yu replied dryly, before stepping in and adjusting the cloth tied around Yosuke’s neck.  Yosuke, who had been trying to work on some of his bad tendencies to blurt out stereotypes, had asked Yu to make sure he called him out on it until he finally stopped.  He grimaced but took the gentle reprimand in stride.

“I’m trying,” he sighed, before reaching forward and pushing Yu’s bell with his finger.  He grinned when it made a jingling sound.  “You’re going to regret wearing that by the end of tonight,” he said cheerfully, and Yu shook his head.

“Are you ready to go?” he asked, and Yosuke frowned.

“That’s what I just asked you!” he replied as Yu laughed.  They then made their way to the door, pulling on their shoes before heading across campus to where the costume party was being held.  Yosuke was dressed like his player character in an online game he had been playing lately, while Yu had expressed his desire to dress as his favorite animal, much to Yosuke’s horror.  They headed into the party, greeting the guy hosting it before heading into the back to grab some snacks.  While they made a plate, Yu began to scan the room for anyone he recognized, before stopping when he spotted familiar red hair. 

“I think Rise’s here,” Yu commented, noting that she appeared to be dressed in a black leather outfit.  He figured she was going for a Black Widow look, and when she turned her head, he realized he was right on both accounts.  She spotted them and waved before excusing herself from the guy she had been chatting with and making her way over to see them.

“How are my favorite sempais?” she asked, giving them each a hug as Yosuke rolled his eyes.

“We all know he’s your actual favorite sempai,” he pointed out, and Rise frowned at him.

“Maybe that changed when he started dating you,” she said with a huff, and Yosuke blushed while Yu laughed a bit nervously.

“What brings you to campus?” Yu asked.  Rise was taking a few classes here and there between her idol activities, so she would show up occasionally to say hi, but she hadn’t mentioned she was going to be at this party tonight.

“My evening freed up with some changes in scheduling so I thought I would come,” Rise said, before eyeing both of their costumes.  “Are you guys doing a couple thing?” she asked.

Yosuke looked confused.  “What?” he asked, glancing at Yu and back at her.  “How does this look like a couples costume?  I’m a wizard and he’s a cat.”

“He’s your familiar, right?” she immediately asked.  “So, you’re like his master!”  She grinned boldly while Yosuke stared at her in horror and Yu suddenly looked like he had been given an early Christmas present. 

“No, that’s not,” Yosuke started to say, but was interrupted by Yu who suddenly rubbed his head against his shoulder.

Yosuke stiffened before glancing down at him, spotting the mischievous look on his boyfriend’s face and feeling apprehensive about where this was going.  “Master Yosuke,” Yu purred into his ear, and Yosuke felt conflicted as he both loved and hated it at the same time.

Rise was staring at both of them with a highly amused expression, while Yosuke immediately squashed their fun.  “No, nu uh, I’m not doing this here,” he said.

Yu almost pouted for a moment, before an idea popped into his head.  “Which means you’ll do it later, right?” he said thoughtfully, and Yosuke groaned as Rise then forced both of them onto the dance floor with her.  They ended up having fun for the rest of the night dancing and catching up with their friend before finally making their way back to their dorm around midnight.  They were both exhausted, but it seemed that wasn’t going to stop Yu who had remembered the conversation earlier.  When Yosuke tried to take off his hat and get undressed for bed, Yu stopped him.

Yosuke glanced up at him in surprise, especially when Yu pushed him back onto the bed before climbing onto his lap, draping himself across him and nuzzling into his neck again.  “Yu, what?” Yosuke gasped, immediately beginning to feel heat coiling its way through his body at the contact.

Yu made a sound in his throat and it took Yosuke a moment to realize he was mimicking a purr.  “Shouldn’t Master Yosuke pet his familiar?  I think I was good tonight,” Yu said, eyes twinkling playfully as he said it.

Yosuke looked at him for a long moment, trying to process what was going on, before a familiar heat crept into his eyes and Yu knew he had won.  “I guess you are a good kitty,” Yosuke said, immediately running his fingers through Yu’s hair who immediately closed his eyes at the touch.

Yosuke then crept his other hand up Yu’s shirt, running his fingers along his boyfriend’s taught back and shoulder muscles, Yu immediately shivering at his touch.  Once they had started dating, Yosuke had begun to appreciate Yu’s strong shoulders and couldn’t help but find them incredibly attractive.  He figured it was similar to Yu’s fascination with his legs; even now, Yu had suddenly gotten up to kneel over him so he could lightly claw his fingernails up and down Yosuke’s thigh, causing him to groan in appreciation.  Yu grinned before saying huskily, “Does Master like that?” and Yosuke responded by crushing Yu’s mouth against his, wiping off his confident smirk as he unwound his boyfriend by gently nibbling on his lips while his hand snaked his way around to run along Yu’s flat stomach, slowly making its way down. 

While Yu’s shoulders were strong and taught and his face was hot with smoky gray eyes staring at him like he was the most important thing in the world, the one thing that got Yosuke every time was his voice.  Whether it was light and thoughtful as in their normal day to day conversation, thick with sleep, or low and husky as it was right now, it always reminded Yosuke how much Yu meant to him and often how much he meant to Yu.  So, hearing it call him Master like that had fully undone him.  Before he knew it, he had managed to tug Yu’s clothes off of him, so he could show his appreciation by slowly touching, kissing, and running his hands along each part of his body, starting along his jaw and neck and making his way down to his thighs and groin.  Yu kept trying to grab at Yosuke to return the favor, but Yosuke carefully pulled himself away, Yu’s moans and panting all the appreciation he needed at the moment.  Yu may have started this, but Yosuke was bound and determined to be the one to finish it.  “You’re so good, Yu, that you deserve a treat from your master,” Yosuke said, slightly out of breath. 

He glanced up at Yu, who was staring at him with lidded eyes, face flushed and hair damp from their activities.  At some point Yosuke’s hat had slid off and fallen to the floor, so his hair was mussed as a result, and Yu had to fight back the urge to run his fingers through it.  He wanted to know what Yosuke was going to do, with those dark brown eyes practically searing him with their heat.  Yosuke on a normal day was warm like the sun, lighting up his life in ways he knew his partner didn’t realize, but when he was like this Yu always remembered that the sun could burn like Yosuke’s hot touch as it teasingly traced its way along his inner thigh.  Yosuke carefully avoided Yu’s dick which had gotten uncomfortably hard during Yosuke’s thorough appreciation of the rest of his body.  Yosuke looked down at it now, and Yu gasped out his name as he leaned forward and placed a kiss on the tip, before running more down along the length, the heat from his mouth causing Yu to shudder with each press of his lips. 

“Master…Yosuke…I can’t…” Yu panted, and Yosuke responded by sliding his mouth over Yu’s dick, running his tongue over the tip before fitting as much as he could in his mouth.  Yosuke felt it in his own groin when Yu moaned in response, and soon they fell into a rhythm as Yosuke bobbed his head along Yu’s length using his mouth as suction and his tongue to tease it as Yu grinded against him.  It didn’t take long for Yosuke to feel the tell-tale signs that Yu was at his limit, and he pulled away just as Yu came, spilling out over his chest as he gasped out Yosuke’s name. 

Yosuke sat back with a smirk, quite pleased at himself over turning the tables when Yu had seemed set on setting the pace that evening.  Yu took several moments for his mind to clear after his orgasm, and he sat up before leaning in to give Yosuke a thankful kiss for his treat.  “Now it’s your turn,” he insisted, and Yosuke chuckled against his lips. 

“Let’s get you cleaned off first,” he said, going to grab a towel while Yu tried to grab at his hips to stop him.  Yosuke was insistent, however, and toweled him off before he would allow things to continue any further.  He didn’t particularly care for how sticky things got when they didn’t take time to clean off after all.  Yosuke was curious over what Yu had in mind as he sat back down on the bed, since he had kind of taken over earlier after Yu had gotten them started.

Yu stared at him, eyes still clouded by lust and those damn ears somehow managing to stay clipped on his head.  Yosuke was tempted to pull them off, but was interrupted as Yu climbed onto his lap again and slowly began to untie the piece of cloth that Yosuke had around his neck.  “I want my master to feel good,” Yu said into his ear as he slowly began to unbutton Yosuke’s tunic.  He made sure to trail his hand along Yosuke’s exposed chest as he did so and smiled when he felt Yosuke’s breath catch in his throat.  Once the tunic was undone, Yu untied the robe and laid it on the bed behind them, pushing Yosuke back onto it as he then pulled the tunic off completely.  Something about Yosuke’s hair splayed across his blue robe while he watched Yu with eyes full of love and trust made Yu’s heart stop for a moment, and his mind was soon racing as he tried to figure out how he could show Yosuke exactly how it made him feel. 

The thing Yu had always loved about his partner – from the very beginning – was that mouth of his and the brilliant smiles that had tugged at his chest until he realized why.  Other people tended to berate Yosuke for his mouth and how he spouted out things thoughtlessly, but Yu loved it.  He loved his friendly chatter, his warm smiles, the way it always tilted up slightly at the corner when he saw him, no matter if they had only been apart for a class or for months when he was still in Inaba.  So, he decided that this time he would show that mouth some appreciation, and as he reached down to unzip Yosuke’s pants he leaned forward to capture those perfect lips in his.

Yu pulled out Yosuke’s dick, and he felt Yosuke shudder in relief beneath him since it had been feeling rather tight down there.  He already had a little precum from Yu’s excited moans earlier, and Yu used that to begin stroking Yosuke, enjoying the small whine that occurred at the back of his throat as a result.  He also continued to ravish his mouth, first sucking on his lips, showing appreciation for all of the warm smiles Yosuke always gave him, before sliding his tongue into his mouth, tasting a little sweetness from the candy Yosuke had been snacking on at the party and reveling in the way Yosuke pressed closer to him as he did.  That mouth that kept him entertained in a myriad of ways deserved some recognition for a change and Yu was more than happy to provide it.

Yosuke began to buck his hips, a sure sign that he was getting close, and Yu increased his rhythm while placing kisses on each corner of Yosuke’s mouth before directly kissing him again, smiling as Yosuke eagerly kissed him back while gripping his back tightly in anticipation.  Suddenly, Yosuke breathed Yu’s name against his lips before bucking against his hand one more time, loosening his grip and closing his eyes as he finally got his release, spilling out all over Yu’s hand.  Yu placed one more gentle kiss against Yosuke’s lips before pulling away, looking down at him in satisfaction as he watched Yosuke ride out the afterglow of his orgasm.  Eventually Yosuke’s eyes opened again and he graced Yu with that smile he adored so much.  “What was that about?” he asked curiously as Yu wiped him off and finally slid his pants down his legs.  He couldn’t help but admire those long tone legs for a moment as he came up with his answer.

“I wanted to show appreciation for my favorite feature of yours,” Yu replied simply and Yosuke raised his eyebrows.

“It’s not my legs?” he teased, and Yu leaned down to place a kiss on Yosuke’s thigh.

“Your legs are lovely, but your mouth is lovelier,” Yu replied immediately, and Yosuke blushed.

“You’re so weird, partner,” he muttered, and Yu grinned.

“Coming from the man in love with my voice,” he replied, eyebrows waggling as Yosuke grabbed a pillow to shove into his satisfied face.

“I never said that!” Yosuke denied and Yu chuckled behind the pillow.

“You didn’t have to,” he replied, voice slightly muffled, and Yosuke pulled the pillow away, looking embarrassed.

“Ok, maybe we’re both weird,” he admitted as Yu lay down next to him and pulled him in his arms, snuggling close.  “Shouldn’t we pull on something to sleep in?” Yosuke asked, and Yu shook his head.

“I’m fine like this,” he said sleepily, his earlier exhaustion suddenly hitting him with full force.  He pulled their blanket over them before burying his face against Yosuke’s hair.  Yosuke sighed and reached up, finally pulling those cat ear clips out of Yu’s hair before gently running his fingers through it soothingly until he felt his boyfriend finally fall asleep.  He watched him for a few minutes, the corners of his lips tilted up in a slight smile at Yu’s peaceful expression, always more gentle than it was when awake, before finally drifting off to sleep himself.


	9. Summer Vacation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 9 for Souyowrimo is Summer Vacation. This story is set in the Journaling Your Feelings universe and depicts a date Yu has set up for Yosuke after returning to Inaba for summer vacation. This one is just pure fluff :)

Yu’s parents didn’t quite understand why he wanted to go back to Inaba for the summer, but they also tended to treat him like an adult and respected his wishes when he asked.  Dojima had assured them that he was welcome to visit whenever he wanted to, and his mom found it touching that the cousins had bonded so well in spite of their age difference.  “You’re welcome to come home anytime you feel bored,” she had said to him, and Yu had smiled lightly before waving at his parents as he stepped on the train.  What they didn’t understand was he felt bored in the city, not in Inaba where his friends were.  And especially where his boyfriend was.

Yu was especially looking forward to seeing Yosuke, who had visited a few weeks ago to see him for his birthday.  Yosuke’s surprise had been touching, and Yu was trying his best to come up with a way he could return the favor now that he was returning to Inaba again.  Luckily, unlike with Golden Week, he would have more time and would actually be able to go on some dates with his boyfriend this time around.  But he wanted the first one to be special.  Thus, Yu had set aside his second day back specifically for Yosuke, deciding that the first day should be dedicated to seeing his uncle and cousin, and he had gotten the ok from both parties.  Some of his other friends were disappointed by that, but they all knew how close Yu and Yosuke were (although maybe not to what extent yet since they hadn’t told the others), and they didn’t put up too much of a fight over it other than a few teasing remarks that were more on the mark than they realized.

Yu suddenly remembered how last summer Yosuke had really wanted to go on a beach trip, and he smiled as he came up with a plan.  He pulled out his phone and looked up how far it was to Shichiri Beach which was the closest one he knew to Inaba.  He calculated that they could take the bus there and back for a day trip and saw there were a few restaurants along the beach they could go to for lunch.  Yu quickly sent Yosuke a message letting him know to bring his swimsuit tomorrow and telling him what time to meet at the bus stop.  He carefully fielded Yosuke’s sudden flurry of questions, simply letting him know that it was going to be a surprise before snapping his phone shut with a pleased grin.  He couldn’t wait to be the one to treat Yosuke this time around and grinned as he leaned back into his seat.

After a touching reunion with Nanako and his uncle, the rest of the Investigation Team absent since they wanted to give him time with his family, Yu spent his first day back unpacking his stuff and immediately feeling more at home than he did in his parent’s apartment.  He then headed downstairs to help Nanako prepare lunch before he, Nanako, and his uncle headed out to the Samagawa flood plains to eat at the pavilion and enjoy the summer day.  They spent some time outdoors before Dojima treated them to Aiya’s for dinner, where Yu ran into Daisuke and Kou who were happy to see him and greeted him from where they sat at the bar.  That was another nice thing about living in Inaba – he tended to run into his friends whenever he went out.  Yu couldn’t help but think of a few times where Yosuke complained about the same exact thing and smiled to himself, wondering if Yosuke had changed his mind about that or still felt the same way.  He seemed to have come around about the town and had confessed that it was finally starting to feel like home, which made Yu feel happy for him.  Even with Yosuke planning to move back to the city, his parents were still in Inaba and Yu wanted him to feel comfortable.

That evening, Yu, Nanako, and Dojima watched the game show she loved so much before turning in early for bed, Yu having to get up early and tired after his long train ride.  He somehow managed to sleep in spite of how excited he was to see Yosuke again, and woke up bright and early in order to get packed.  Just in case he brought an extra towel and he made sure to pack sunscreen and some snacks and drinks as well.  Once he was ready, he headed downstairs, accepting a cup of coffee from his uncle who was already up, and throwing together a quick breakfast of eggs and toast for him and his uncle with a plate set aside for when Nanako got up.  He then headed out the door, making his way to the bus stop where he was delighted to see Yosuke groggily waiting for him.

“I can’t believe you won’t tell me where we’re going,” Yosuke yawned, his large bag holding his towel plopped down on the ground next to him.  He had sunglasses resting on top of his head since it was still a bit dark outside and not bright enough for them yet.

Yu merely grinned before walking over, encircling his arms around his tired boyfriend as Yosuke buried his head into his shoulder.  “You’ll see soon enough,” he teased, and Yosuke grunted something unintelligible back, causing Yu to pat him on the back in response.  Yosuke pulled away after that, hearing the sound of the bus arriving and eyeing the sign listing the bus’s destination.  Upon seeing it, his eyes excitedly widened. 

“We’re going to the beach?” he asked, climbing on after Yu and looking more awake.  There were a few other people also getting on with them, and Yu paid both their fares before they found a seat.  Yu had already warned Yosuke that he was treating this time and that Yosuke had better keep his wallet to himself.

“Yeah, I remembered how much you wanted to do that last summer,” Yu replied.

“Yeah, getting shoved in a creek is just not the same,” Yosuke sighed.  He was quickly waking up now that they were together, and he was excited for their destination.  Yu shared some of his snacks and a drink with Yosuke who hadn’t eaten anything for breakfast prior to dragging himself out to the bus stop.  Once they finally arrived at the beach, Yosuke was the first one off the bus, immediately making a beeline toward the sand while Yu jogged after him with a laugh.  It warmed his heart to see Yosuke so excited, and they soon had their towels laid out with their bags and flip flops holding the towels down since there was a nice sea breeze.  They threw off their shirts, Yu barely having a chance to admire Yosuke’s tone chest before the brunet was off, running toward the water, laughing at how it was still slightly cool since it was early summer. 

Yu shook his head, especially since Yosuke hadn’t even stopped to put on any sunscreen, before carefully applying it on himself and ignoring Yosuke’s puppy dog eyes he was sending from the water.  Yosuke seemed the type of guy who tanned in the sun, but Yu was well aware his complexion leaned toward burning and he didn’t want to spend his summer vacation with a sunburn.  After waiting exactly 15 minutes to let the sunblock set, during which Yosuke had left the water, putting on his sunglasses while pouting at him for a few minutes before returning with a huff, Yu finally went out to join him, slowly making his way down the slope to where it got deeper, trying to acclimate himself to the cooler water until he gave up when Yosuke splashed him with a laugh before swimming away.  Yu glared at him and dove in, quickly catching up and dunking his boyfriend who soon dragged him down with him.  They ended up playing like that for several minutes, both of them slightly regretting getting the salty water in their hair which was sure to be dry and scratchy later, but they also thought it was worth it and reveled in being able to have fun together like they used to.

After they were doing playing, both boys lay back and floated on their backs, gently being lifted up occasionally by the small waves as they lapped along the beach.  It was nice and relaxing just getting to spend time with each other like this, listening to the sound of the sea birds flying overhead and the wind and the waves.  After about 10 minutes of it, they both made their way ashore again to sunbathe for awhile.  Yu pulled out a book to read while Yosuke played some music from his phone and drifted off for a bit.  Yu was sure to shake him awake about fifteen minutes later, making him turn over to ensure he didn’t burn in the sun.  After another fifteen minutes of peaceful rest, Yosuke’s stomach growled, and Yu chuckled as he sat up and pulled out his phone.  “Ready for lunch?” he asked, and Yosuke sighed and nodded. 

“Yeah, I am,” he admitted.

“It looks like there’s a family restaurant with good ratings not far from this part of the beach.  Want to check it out?”

Yosuke nodded eagerly, and they both packed up their stuff, throwing on their shirts and sliding on their flip flops.  Yu caught Yosuke eyeing his chest in the process, and he gave his boyfriend a satisfied smirk that caused him to flush and look away.  They then made their way to the restaurant, immediately being seated since it was still a bit early in the day, before ordering their food.  Yu got the curry rice while Yosuke got pizza, and they both ordered their soda of choice as well.  They chatted as they ate, Yu already noticing that Yosuke was taking on a slight tan, before Yu paid for their meals, and they made their way back out to the beach for round two. 

They had fun playing in the small waves, having another splashing/dunking match, and finishing it off by Yu treating them to some shaved ice at a little stand along the beach.  Yu got green tea and Yosuke got strawberry, and they had fun feeding each other bites of their treat as they sat on a bench and people watched.  After a fully relaxing afternoon, they finally packed up a final time before making their way over to the bus stop, fully exhausted, but in that way that let you know you had a good day.  On their way back to Inaba, they both ended up falling asleep on the ride back, Yu’s head on Yosuke’s shoulder as Yosuke leaned against the window.  They both felt peaceful now that they had their partner back again, and they were happy to have the whole summer to spend together. 


	10. Tokyo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 10 for Souyowrimo has a theme of Tokyo. For my prompt, Yosuke is in Tokyo to visit a few universities as he's going through the application phase and since he gets out of his last tour early, he goes to Yu's school to surprise him a bit early. There is a little bit of angst in this one.

Yosuke was having a great day.  He was in the city that he loved, touring potential universities that he and his best friend were applying to, and later that day he would be seeing said best friend since he was staying the night.  And his last tour had wrapped up early so now Yosuke was eagerly on his way to Yu’s school, hoping to surprise him by showing up early to walk him home.  He had his bag strung across his shoulders, having had to switch shoulders several times that day since it was a bit heavy with the clothes he had packed for the trip, and was looking at his phone as he used the map system to lead him to where Yu’s high school was located.  Once he finally arrived, surprised by how large and new it looked compared to Yasogami, he waited outside of the school gates where students were just starting to trickle out since classes had just let out.

Yosuke knew that today Yu didn’t have any after school activities planned in anticipation of Yosuke’s visit, so he figured he would show up soon, and he kept his head craned toward the doors of the school in anticipation.  Eventually, he spotted the familiar gray hair and assured stance of his partner, and he stepped around the gate and got ready to call his name and wave, only stopping when he realized Yu was walking with someone.  It was a girl and she was walking rather close to Yu, in a way that reminded Yosuke a lot of how Rise always used to walk with him.  Yosuke’s hand fell to his side, and he was suddenly aware of the curious looks he was getting by a few of the students that stepped passed him on their way out of the gates.  Yosuke immediately flushed, remembering suddenly that he was an outsider, and he quickly stepped back and hurried along the fence in front of the school, hiding behind a column and clutching his chest which suddenly had locked up in pain.

Yosuke had somehow forgotten that once Yu had left Inaba, he would find new friends and people to hang out with.  It wasn’t like Yosuke could expect him to somehow wait around for him for a whole year, and back in Inaba he had been a popular guy with lots of other friends.  In fact, he should be happy Yu had made some friends and was adjusting to life in the city.  But for some reason, Yosuke felt himself bowled over, hands gripping his knees as he felt sharp pains in his chest and squeezed his eyes shut as he tried to even his breathing.  ‘I’ll just have to stay out for a little until Yu gets home and pretend my last tour ran late…’ Yosuke was thinking to himself, before his thoughts were interrupted.

“Yosuke?” a voice asked worriedly, and Yosuke looked up in surprise to see Yu looking at him with concern while the pretty girl he was walking with looked at him curiously.

Yosuke immediately flushed, at a loss of what to say for a change.  Yu immediately turned to the girl and smiled politely, before saying, “This is my friend I was telling you about was coming to visit today.  I’m afraid I won’t be able to walk you home after all.”

“That’s alright,” she said with a shrug, glancing at Yosuke one last time before heading off on her own.  Once she was far enough away, Yu turned back toward Yosuke.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, placing a cool hand on Yosuke’s forehead, obviously thinking he was sick.  Yosuke felt his eyes close at the soothing touch before pulling away.

“Nothing’s wrong.  I’m fine,” he replied.  “I just came early to surprise you but saw you with that girl and thought I may be interrupting.”

Yu raised an eyebrow.  “Interrupting how?” he asked, and Yosuke blushed and looked away.

“I dunno, you both looked kind of cozy.”

Yu eyed him silently for a moment and Yosuke immediately tried to play it off.  “So, what plans did you have tonight?  Am I going to eat some of that great cooking of yours, partner?” he asked, trying to infuse his usual cheer into his voice.

Yu, however, didn’t look convinced, and instead gave Yosuke that patient look that he hated – the one that always got Yosuke to spill his guts.  Yosuke let out a deep sigh and crossed his arms before coming up with the right way to phrase it.  “I guess I’m just being kind of a jerk,” he started, suddenly feeling guilty, and Yu patiently waited for him to continue.  “I just…I was about to call out to you earlier, but when I saw you both together…I was struck by the fact you had other friends and this new life I don’t know much about and, I dunno…”  Yosuke didn’t really want to discuss how it had physically made him feel pain, already feeling like enough of a jerk that he couldn’t just be happy for his partner.

“I don’t think you’re being a jerk,” Yu replied thoughtfully, and Yosuke’s eyes shot up at him while his brows furrowed in confusion.  “Honestly, I often feel a bit jealous when you send me stories about what you and the others have been doing back home,” Yu replied.  “I miss being there with you so it’s only natural.”

“But,” Yosuke protested, and Yu shook his head.

“To be honest I’m not really friends with that girl anyway.  She’s on the student council and wanted some advice since I’m my class’s representative,” he explained.  “I do have a few friends here but none of them are as special to me as you.”

Yosuke flushed at his confession, finally feeling some of that pain that had settled in his stomach ease away.  “Same here.  I mean, I love our friends but, they’re not you,” he said honestly, and if Yosuke wasn’t mistaken, Yu looked relieved too.

“I did, in fact, have some plans for dinner tonight,” Yu said, smoothly changing the subject and starting to walk home.  Yosuke quickly scrambled after him, soon slinging an arm over Yu’s shoulder like old times.

“What are you making?” he asked eagerly, and they chatted easily to each other as they made their way to Yu’s family apartment.


	11. A Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For Day 11 of Souyowrimo, the prompt is A Date. So...just an fyi this one is angst with a happy ending which starts by Yosuke getting stood up for a date.

Hanamura Yosuke, for the very first time in his life, had a date.  He was 20 minutes early, dressed in a polo that he had borrowed from Yu and jeans instead of his usual cargo pants while nervously holding a small bouquet of flowers.  He thought it might be a little over the top since Miki had been the one to ask him, and he had a feeling she meant to be very casual, but he couldn’t help but want to add a special touch since he was finally hitting a long term goal of his.  Yosuke was waiting in front of the movie theater, shifting nervously as he checked his phone for the time, and thinking back over how it took leaving Inaba to finally have this chance.  While he had some great friends there, he definitely only saw the girls as such, and the general population of the school still treated him with either indifference or as an outcast.  ‘Here, I’m not the ‘Prince of Disappointment,’ he thought in relief.

When Yosuke had told Yu about it, his partner had reacted strangely, but overall had seemed happy for him.  Yosuke couldn’t lie – Yu’s reaction bothered him a little – and he found himself reassuring his best friend that it was a casual thing and that he hardly knew the girl.  Which, in retrospect, was true.  If Yosuke was honest with himself, he had only accepted the invitation to give it a try rather than out of any real interest for Miki; they had only talked a few times in class after all.  But, who could blame him for jumping at the opportunity when it finally presented itself?

Yosuke checked his phone again, realizing it was time to meet up, before glancing around.  He frowned when he didn’t spot her, then checked his messages again where he had confirmed the time with her.  ‘Maybe she’s one of those people who’s always late,’ he thought to himself, sliding his phone back into his pocket and tapping his foot impatiently.  He contemplated sending her a text to check on her, but he also didn’t want to appear too clingy and tactfully held off.  He began to feel a knot of worry tighten in his stomach and tried his best to ignore it, choosing to try his best to keep an optimistic attitude.  About 30 minutes after they were set to meet, when the movie would have finally started after the previews, he got a text from her apologizing that something came up and hoping that he hadn’t waited for her.  Yosuke felt his stomach drop and couldn’t help the negative, ‘Well, looks like nothing’s changed,’ thought that crossed into his mind.  At the end of the day, he was still a disappointment.

Yosuke quickly typed out a reply, pretending that he had left shortly after her not showing up, instead of waiting like a hopeful idiot after already buying flowers and the tickets, and found the nearest waste bin before tossing both.  His face was red with embarrassment, as he berated himself for getting his hopes up.  He was torn between just returning to the apartment now, where Yu would quickly figure out things didn’t work out, or pretending to stay out and lying about the date in order to hide his failure.  He could make up an excuse that it just didn’t work out, but hey, he finally did it right?  Yosuke shook his head, knowing that Yu would see right through him anyway.  Besides, he wanted to bury himself in some music to try to escape the negative feelings that were suddenly eating away at him.  Yosuke headed to the train, the apartment he shared with Yu only a stop 10 minutes away, and he made his way straight to the apartment, barging in and kicking off his shoes as Yu stared at him from surprise in their living room.

“Yosuke?” he asked as Yosuke attempted to ignore him and escape into his room.  Unfortunately, Yu spotted his upset expression and followed him instead.  “Why are you back so early?  What happened?” he asked, and Yosuke simply handed him his phone before sprawling on his bed and burying his face in his pillows. 

Yu was silent for a moment as he read the text, before he released a deep sigh.  He sat on the bed next to Yosuke, before placing a comforting hand on his back.  Yosuke couldn’t help but find himself relax slightly at the touch, but he still didn’t say anything, not trusting his voice not to crack.  He didn’t want Yu to know how much he was beating himself up over yet again getting his hopes up only to have them dashed, because he knew how much it would upset him.  To his surprise, instead of saying anything about what happened to Miki, or trying to reassure him like he usually did, Yu asked, “Do you still want to go on a date?”

Yosuke lifted his head to give Yu an incredulous look.  “In case you didn’t read, my date just dumped me,” he pointed out, and Yu shook his head.

“Not with her.”  He paused for a moment, watching Yosuke carefully who didn’t seem to pick up on his meaning.  “With me.”

Yosuke blinked a few times, trying to process what he was saying.  “Take me out on the date that you meant to have,” he clarified, voice calm as if he wasn’t asking for something that was currently causing Yosuke to have a mental breakdown as he tried to process through his feelings at the suggestion.

“I don’t want your pity,” he said dismissively, almost burying himself back under the pillows, but then he felt Yu’s grip tighten on his back and glanced back at him.

“This isn’t pity,” he said firmly.  “I really…want it.”  He said it slowly, obviously unsure about what he was admitting, and Yosuke’s eyes widened.  He then sat up, looking at Yu more closely and noticing the faint blush on his partner’s cheeks.  So _that’s_ why Yu had reacted strangely earlier.

Yosuke bit his lip, before replying, “I wouldn’t want you take you on a date I had planned for her,” and when Yu’s face fell at his words he quickly clarified, “because it would have to be one I planned for you, partner.”

Yu’s eyes shot back up, searching Yosuke’s face for any sign of teasing, and looking hopeful when he only found sincerity.  “Well, what sort of date would you have planned for me?” he replied cautiously, and Yosuke who looked much happier than he had 10 minutes ago grinned.

“Well, first of all, it’s a surprise, because they drive you crazy,” he said, his voice adopting a confident tone now that he was formulating a plan. 

“And why would you want to do that,” Yu asked, eyes narrowed slightly, while Yosuke grinned teasingly.

“Because you’re more attractive when you lose a little of that control of yours,” he replied, smile widening when he saw the look of surprise cross Yu’s eyes followed by a smoldering look as he processed his partner’s words.  Before he could think too much, Yosuke got up and grabbed Yu’s hand.  “You ready?” he asked, lacing their fingers together as he tugged him toward the door.

“Let me at least grab my phone,” Yu said, pulling away and quickly heading to the living room where it was resting next to his research for the paper he was working on.  Once he made sure he had his phone and his wallet secured, he shyly reached his had back to Yosuke who gripped it immediately.  He then led them down the street, Yu curious as to where Yosuke would take them.

Their first stop, to his surprise, was the arcade.  “See, not someplace I would have taken her, but perfect for us,” Yosuke said as they headed inside.

“How is this perfect for us?” Yu asked curiously.  The arcade certainly wasn’t something he had in mind so he was confused.

“Because I get to see your cute pout every time I beat you at fighting games,” Yosuke said cheerfully, and Yu immediately punched him on the shoulder.

“You’ll regret that,” he said, his expression fired up as he headed to the first one he spotted.  Yosuke quickly got them set up with some money on a game card before swiping it and applying credits for their first match.  Yosuke had to admit, part of the real reason he brought Yu to the arcade was because it brought out his competitive side, one that most others rarely got to see.  It was incredibly attractive to see Yu so passionate about beating him, and Yosuke had to admit it fired him up as well.  It was much better than sitting through a movie.  And as Yosuke beat him the first round as promised, he was proud to note that Yu’s frown over losing was just as cute as promised.

They ended up playing several different games with Yu winning a few but Yosuke mainly dominating, since he was definitely more the gamer between the two (plus, he had to play against Teddie who had picked up gaming at a scary rate; Yosuke figured it was because he didn’t go to school and often had nothing to do outside of work).  That’s when Yosuke decided to bring Yu to the next part of their date – dinner at their favorite izakaya near their apartment.  It was still a bit early, but Yosuke hadn’t eaten lunch due to nerves over the date and Yu was also feeling hungry.  Because they were regulars, they got along great with the staff who immediately poured them their usual beers as they came up to sit at the bar.  Moments later, their usual first dish was presented to them as well – edamame.  While Yosuke sipped at his beer and tried to figure out what dish they should share for their meal, Yu began chatting with their server who asked if they were taking a break from studying.

Yu glanced at Yosuke, and was about to go along with the suggestion before Yosuke casually responded, “No, today it’s a date,” causing the server to grin widely while giving the two of them a knowing glance.

“If that’s the case, I have something special for our favorite guests,” he said, sticking his head into the kitchen and whispering something to the cook.  He cheerfully chatted with them like usual, also putting in an order of karaage at Yosuke’s request, before returning with his surprise.  It was some yakitori, but they had basted it with a special sauce and their server explained that it was something the chef was testing out and that they wanted them to try it and see how it tasted.

They both took a curious bite, before turning to look at each other with wide eyes.  “This is delicious!” Yosuke said, quickly taking another bite while Yu agreed.

“I’m having trouble recognizing all of the flavors,” he admitted, and the server grinned.

“It’s the chef’s secret.  We’re going to start having them on the menu though.  You two are the first guests we’ve let try it,” he said with a wink, and Yu and Yosuke grinned.  They ended up having a second beer and their karaage, before finishing off the meal with some yakisoba.  Yu had to admit that coming to their favorite izakaya was a great choice, and he couldn’t help but wonder at Yosuke being able to come up with these ideas so suddenly; he had spent hours trying to pick out date ideas for Miki, yet had somehow come up with his on the spot.  He glanced at Yosuke thoughtfully, wondering deep inside if maybe Yosuke had actually thought about a date between them before, but he was too unsure to voice his question.

Once they were finished eating and Yosuke paid for their meals, they waved at their server before stepping back out onto the street.  The sun was starting to get low in the sky and had bathed the busy city streets in that yellow orange late afternoon glow that always reminded Yu of his partner.  “Well,” Yu started.  “That was a nice first date…” but he was quickly caught off by Yosuke.

“It’s not over yet,” he grinned, reaching over for Yu’s hand again.  Yu stared at it before glancing back at Yosuke, head tilting slightly as he accepted his hand.  Yosuke then pulled him along again, surprising Yu by bringing him to one of the many department stores around their apartment, and stepping into the elevator.  He hit the button for the top floor, but didn’t give Yu any ideas about what he had planned.  Yu trusted Yosuke though, and followed along without any question, knowing that whatever Yosuke had in store it must have been special based on the excited sparkle in his eyes.

Once they stepped off the elevator, Yosuke brought him through the department store floor, where different bits of furniture were on display showcasing home décor that was for sale, eventually turning a corner that Yu was sure he would have ignored while shopping and bringing him into a hallway that appeared to lead to the bathroom.  To Yu’s surprise, it also had a breathtaking view of the city, bathed in the late afternoon sunlight as the sun slowly began to set behind the city buildings.  “I discovered this one day when I was hunting for new towels for the bathroom,” Yosuke explained.  “I had to pee and remembered being surprised by the view.  It always stuck with me,” he said, eyes glued to the window as he gazed out at the city he loved.

Yu watched him for a moment, marveling at the way the golden light coming in from the window washed over his features, almost making Yosuke appear to glow.  Yosuke turned to look at him, smiling warmly over the look in Yu’s eyes before stepping forward.  He leaned in a little, stopping close to Yu’s face, before saying, “Now, this is how you end a date.”

Before he could make his move, however, Yu quickly stepped back, eyebrows furrowed as he stared at Yosuke.  Yosuke stared back at him, surprised by his reaction.  Before he could say anything, however, Yu explained himself.  “I appreciated you showing me what your date planned for me was,” Yu started.  “But, Yosuke, I don’t want you to force yourself.”

To his surprise, relief flickered in Yosuke’s eyes and he let out a breath.  “If that’s all it is,” he started, before looking at Yu in determination, “then you can save whatever you want to do for the date you take _me_ on.  Today, this is _my_ date for you though, and I say we end it with a kiss.”

Yu’s eyes widened at Yosuke’s words, and as he processed the fact that Yosuke admitted that he wanted a second date, the brunet leaned forward and pressed his lips firmly against Yu’s, causing the silver haired man to immediately become overwhelmed by the warm pressure against his lips and the citrusy smell of Yosuke’s shampoo.  When Yosuke pulled back, he had a shy look on his face, and Yu couldn’t help but melt at his expression.  “Was that ok?” Yosuke asked, and Yu responded by diving in for a second one.

“It was perfect,” he breathed against Yosuke’s lips before taking his turn to capture them.  By the time they pulled apart, the sun had finally set behind the city, and the sky had taken on that dark blue color with the half-light of twilight falling upon the city.  Now, the city lights began to light up the night sky, setting a different mood as the city began its transition to the nightlife.  “I wanted to ask this earlier, but was too afraid,” Yu said carefully, “but in light of what just happened I’m not afraid anymore.  How long ago did you come up with our date idea?”

Yosuke blushed, before looking down.  “Pretty shortly after we moved into that apartment,” he admitted.  “I just…”  Yu waited for him, curious to what he would say.  “I didn’t think you…liked me like that.  So, I had resigned myself to eventually dating some girl and following the path that seems expected for everyone,” Yosuke confessed.  “It’s why the date was a big moment for me, I guess.  Like it was my first step into adulthood.  But then when you said you wanted to go on a date instead?”  He looked at Yu.  “I had to take that opportunity.  Because I knew you’d love it.”

It was Yu’s turn to smile, his eyes looking at Yosuke with adoration.  “I’ve wanted to date you since Inaba,” he admitted, “but thought I would never have the chance.  When you said you were going on that date today, I honestly thought it was the beginning of the end for me…”  His eyes took on a slightly melancholy expression as he said it.  “So…I think that’s what bolstered me to take my chance when you came back.  If you were going to start dating, it may be the only chance I got,” he admitted.

“Well, I’m glad you did,” Yosuke replied, before winking and saying, “And I look forward to our next date, partner.”

Yu reached for Yosuke’s hand, placing a kiss on his knuckles before squeezing it.  “I may have a few ideas up my sleeve,” he said, brows slightly raised.  Yosuke grinned at him before they headed back to their apartment, glad to finally have their feelings out in the open.


	12. A Gift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 12 of Souyowrimo has the theme of A Gift. I set this story within the setting of Yosuke's Surprise Trip, a birthday story for Yosuke that Livefree and I wrote together. This takes place before the events of that story ^^

Yosuke couldn’t remember the last time he and Yu really spent time together, and it was bothering him.  He yawned as he stepped up to their apartment, which they moved into earlier that year after moving out of the one they had stayed in during college.  This one was closer to the radio station that Yosuke worked at, hosting the late night show after interning at the station his senior year.  While Yosuke worked the night shift, Yu had gotten a job doing social work and had a normal 9-5 type job which meant Yosuke was usually going to sleep or already asleep by the time Yu got up for work.  It left only a short period of time when Yu got off work and Yosuke woke up for work to spend any time together, and it was usually spent with both of them doing chores.

They did have the weekend, but lately Yu had been going out doing volunteer work on the weekends which meant they were seeing each other even less.  Yosuke knew he was doing it both to help the community and to get some community service hours to hopefully give him a chance at moving up to a better paying position; part of the reason Yosuke was working late was he got better pay out of it than if he had taken one the day jobs that had been offered.  Yu didn’t make much money at his job, and they needed Yosuke’s pay to cover their day to day expenses.  Knowing why Yu was doing it didn’t really make it any easier though.

Yosuke quietly entered the apartment, heading to the living room to lay on the couch so as to not disturb his still sleeping boyfriend.  He stretched out, glad it was his Friday so he could stay up a little later and spend some time with Yu when he woke up and got ready for work.  He idly scrolled through his Facebook feed on his phone, abruptly stopping when he saw something one of his coworkers had posted the day before.  It was a cute picture of her cat that she always bragged about and several tiny kittens that were curled up around her asleep.  The post mentioned that Natsuko was trying to find a good home for them, and Yosuke quickly sent her a message asking if they were still available.  By the time he heard Yu’s alarm go off in the other room, she had apparently woken up and messaged back that they were, and Yosuke asked if he’d be able to swing by to take a look today, an idea formulating in his head.  Yu had appeared rather drained in the past few weeks between work and the volunteer stuff, and Yosuke figured this may just be the thing he needed to perk up.

Thus, when Yu blearily headed out from their bedroom, accepting the cup of coffee Yosuke had prepared for him in surprise, he found his boyfriend appeared more awake and excited than he usually did since he was often about ready to fall asleep.  “What’s up?” he asked, almost missing the lip of his mug as he made to take a sip, and Yosuke shook his head.  It was funny how Yu was so out of it when he first woke up.

“No-thing,” Yosuke replied, in that tone that Yu knew meant he had something up his sleeve.  When Yu’s calculating stare didn’t get Yosuke to talk, he sighed and knew he’d just have to wait.  He was pleased to see that Yosuke also had eggs and toast readily prepared for him, pecking him on the cheek at the nice gesture as he sat down and began to eat.  Between the coffee and breakfast, Yu slowly began to wake up and soon looked like his usual alert self.

“Have a good day at work, partner,” Yosuke called after Yu had changed into his dress pants, button up, and tie and was ready to head out the door.  Yu smiled, leaning in for a kiss before grabbing the lunch he had prepared for himself the night before and heading out.

Yosuke waited a few minutes, making sure Yu hadn’t forgotten anything, before grabbing his keys and wallet and also heading out the door.  Luckily, Natsuko’s place was just a short train ride away, and he had been by once or twice before for get-togethers so he knew where to go.  Once he was allowed in, she brought him right to the blanket lined box she had set up for the kittens, and Yosuke peered inside, feeling his heart melt a little at the cuteness.  “Wow, they’re so tiny!” he breathed, and she explained they were a few weeks old but had been cleared for adoption by her vet.

Her cat was a calico, so the kittens all had various patterns of coloration on them which Yosuke found pretty neat.  Then, one in particular finally caught his eye, and he asked excitedly if he could pick it up.  Natsuko gave the ok, and Yosuke kneeled down before carefully reaching in, letting the mama cat sniff his hand as Yu had taught him over the years before gently taking her kitten into his hand.  The kitten had a little mark in its pattern that reminded Yosuke of a flower, and he asked, “It it a girl or a boy?” while clutching it carefully to his chest.  It snuggled up in his hand, and Yosuke knew that this was definitely the one.

“Ah, she’s a girl,” his coworker said.  “Would you like to take her home?  Didn’t you say your boyfriend liked cats?”  Her eyes sparkled in amusement, and Yosuke knew that she had caught on to him.

“Yeah, he does,” Yosuke admitted.  “So, since she’s a girl,” he said, bringing his face down to her tiny one, “How does Hana sound?”

The kitten mewed before licking at his nose with her tiny tongue, and Yosuke chuckled as his coworker said, “I think she likes it.  And Hana is very fitting, _Hanamura-san_.” She emphasized his name pointedly.  Yosuke blushed, but he had a feeling that Yu would like the name too.  He said he had always found Yosuke’s name cute, and it really seemed perfect for the kitten with the flower pattern on its fur.

“Can I leave her here while I go and grab a few things for her?  What all do I need to get?” Yosuke asked, never having had a pet before.  Yu would definitely be more knowledgeable here, but he wanted to surprise him so he couldn’t ask.  His coworker helped write him a list while also including the shots the kitten had already had, recommending her vet to him as well since she said she had always done well with her cat.  Yosuke took all of the knowledge eagerly, asking how much he owed her for the kitten, and Natsuko giggled before saying she was just happy Hana was going to such a good home.  After stopping at the nearest pet store and getting a cat carrier and other essential items, Yosuke returned to the apartment and scooped the sleeping kitten into the carrier, nabbing a taxi on the way back since he had so many bags with him.  He had gotten litter, a litter box, food, bowls, and toys and couldn’t wait to get home and get it all set up.

Once he arrived, following the advice of his coworker he left the carrier open, allowing the kitten to venture out on its own accord once she was ready, while going through and quickly kitten proofing the house.  He then set out some food and water before unwrapping the toys, knowing that Yu would want to play with her later.  He also set up the litter box before setting it aside.  He then waited for her to come out, and after several minutes she finally poked her head out and mewed at him.  Yosuke couldn’t help the wide smile that crossed his face as she hesitantly stepped out before making a beeline to him and climbing up on his lap, and he scooped her up and headed to the living room to lie down for a nap.  She snuggled on his chest as he lay down, feeling exhausted after staying up several hours later than he normally did. 

As a result, he was still fast asleep when Yu finally arrived home, blinking in confusion when he saw the cat carrier, food bowl, and toys scattered on the floor next to the dining room.  He flicked on the light, his head immediately turning when he heard a curious mew from the couch, along with the light breathing of his boyfriend.  He loosened his tie and slid off his shoes before making his way over, stopping when he spotted Yosuke sprawled out on the couch with a tiny kitten looking curiously at him from his chest.  She mewed at him again, and Yu quickly walked around the couch, kneeling next to them and carefully offering his hand, smiling when she immediately bumped her head against it before rubbing against his fingers with the side of her face.  Yu leaned over, pressing a fond kiss against Yosuke’s cheek, wishing he were awake so he could give him an even better one to let him know how happy he was, but based on the fact Yosuke hadn’t even stirred and all of the things he had bought for the kitten, Yu figured it would be better to let him rest.  Instead, he picked up the kitten and brought her to the dining room floor, allowing her to eat and drink some water while he ordered take out for the two of them.  He then picked up one of the feather wands to play with her, spotting her litterbox in the corner that Yosuke had already poured litter in that afternoon. 

‘I’ll have to find out if she’s litter trained already,’ he thought, noticing the notes Yosuke had sitting on the counter from his coworker.  He scanned through it, taking a mental note of the shots and vet information before noticing one important one mixed in with the rest.  “Your name is Hana, huh?” he asked, immediately looking amused as he spotted the little flower shaped pattern in her fur.  He couldn’t have imagined a more perfect name, and he felt his heart melt even more at the thought.

Once the door buzzed signifying their food was here, it finally seemed to wake Yosuke up who sat up blearily, rubbing at his hair which was a mess after resting his head on the armrest and couch pillow.  “Hana?” he yawned, once he realized she was no longer curled up on his chest, and Yu watched in bemusement as he looked around with a panicked look until he finally noticed Yu.

“She’s right here,” he chuckled, pointing to where she was currently batting around a mouse shaped toy Yosuke had gotten for her.  Yosuke looked relieved, before spotting the bag of food Yu was holding in his hand.  His stomach growled, and Yu couldn’t help but grin again.  “This is certainly one way to surprise a guy with flowers,” Yu said, brows raised, and Yosuke gave him a hopeful look.

“Do you like your surprise?” he asked as Yu scooped up Hana and brought her into the living room.  She began exploring around their feet as he handed Yosuke his box of food.

Yu then leaned in, planting the kiss on Yosuke’s lips that he had wanted to give him earlier.  “I love it,” he replied simply, once he pulled away in order to enjoy the flushed look of surprise on his boyfriend’s face.

“I’m glad,” Yosuke said, face soft as he looked back at him.  “I was hoping she would make your week a little easier.”

Yu hummed to himself as he took a bite of food, looking at her thoughtfully.  “Maybe this weekend I can hold off on volunteering,” he suggested, and Yosuke’s head shot up as he looked over at him hopefully.  “I have a new kitten to help take care of after all.”

‘I’d like that,” Yosuke admitted, and his hand reached over to find Yu’s as he used the other to get started on his own food.  Hana, meanwhile, appeared to have tired herself out already, and was soon sleeping at the floor between both of them.  Yu couldn’t help but feel with the new kitten, their little family felt a little more complete.


	13. Cuddling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 13 of Souyowrimo has a theme of cuddling. Yosuke wakes up after having a nightmare during a thunderstorm; it is a hurt/comfort.

Thunder boomed outside, and Yosuke’s eyes flew open.  He sat up quickly, running his hand through his hair as he glanced out the window.  It was pouring outside.  Yosuke looked over at Yu who was curled up next to him but facing away from the window.  His breathing was still even so it appeared Yosuke hadn’t woken him up with his abrupt movements.  He couldn’t help but feel relieved, since he didn’t want to interrupt his sleep.  Yosuke carefully got out of bed and wandered over to the window, staring out at the pouring rain as he relived the nightmare that had woken him up.

He was back in the shadow world, only the fog was lifted because it was raining heavily in the real world.  And he was just being swarmed with shadows.  None of his friends were there and it was just him and Jiraiya defending themselves (although he had Susano-o now, his dreams usually featured Jiraiya he had noticed).  Then he had started to hear Saki’s shadow making derisive comments about him and…  Yosuke shuddered, feeling the cold sweat that had formed during the next part of his nightmare.  He had dropped his kunai and Jiraiya had disappeared and suddenly all he saw were shadows rushing at him.  That had been the moment the thunder crashed and he had woken up.  Yosuke felt his breathing hitch and he leaned his forehead against the window glass, trying to get it back under control as he slid his eyes shut.

To his surprise, he suddenly felt a comforting warmth at his back as Yu rested his hands on his shoulders and pressed a comforting kiss at the back of his neck.  “Come back to bed,” he said softly, feeling Yosuke’s shuddering breaths against his chest.  When Yosuke didn’t move, Yu tugged him around until Yosuke faced him, pulling him into his arms and pushing his head onto his shoulder.  Yu ran a comforting hand through his hair, and Yosuke finally felt the anxiety that had been building within him start to fade away.

This time, when Yu started stepping backward toward the bed, Yosuke carefully followed him, and when Yu pulled them both onto the bed he didn’t resist.  Yu continued to hold Yosuke to his chest, kissing his forehead while running gentle circles on his scalp as Yosuke continued to relax.  “’M sorry, partner,” Yosuke mumbled as he stared down at the bed.

“For what?” Yu asked.

“Waking you up,” Yosuke frowned.  “I didn’t want to bother you.”

“Of course I’m going to wake up when you’re not beside me,” Yu explained.  “But I don’t see why you feel the need to apologize.  You’ve comforted me through my nightmares.”  Yu’s often involved an alternate reality where Nanako hadn’t made it, and Yosuke had woken up many times to Yu burying his face in his shoulder with tears in his eyes.  His tended to occur more in November, while Yosuke’s happened a lot around thunderstorms. Even after all this time, he was still impacted by the weather.

“Yeah but you have a specific reason for yours,” Yosuke argued.  “And mine happen more often.”

Yu’s fingers stopped.  “Like you don’t have a valid reason?” he asked, his voice a little gruff.  “I’ve heard you say her name in your sleep, Yosuke.  You have every reason to suffer from nightmares, more so than me if you think about it.”

Yosuke didn’t reply, but Yu felt his hands reach forward and grab hold of the shirt he was sleeping in.  Yu scooted forward, pulling Yosuke flush to his chest this time, and sighed.  “I love you,” he said softly.  “I hate it when you get like this.”

“I know,” Yosuke replied.  “Thank you for accepting me anyways.”

“Always,” Yu said, tightening his grip slightly.

“I love you too,” Yosuke added.  Outside, the rain showed no signs of letting up, and both men huddled together on their bed, staying up and enjoying each other’s comforting presence for quite awhile before Yosuke was finally able to fall asleep again.  Yu waited until he was sure Yosuke wasn’t going to have another nightmare before finally drifting off himself, his comforting arms protecting Yosuke from anymore nightmares.


	14. Sci-Fi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 14's theme is a Sci-Fi/fantasy AU and I decided to go with a Sci-Fi theme by writing a Doctor Who AU :)

Yosuke was stuck closing all by himself after the associate that was supposed to stay with him ran off saying he had some emergency and had to leave early.  Although Yosuke wasn’t supposed to close by himself for safety reasons, he didn’t really have a choice and just did his best to finish preparing the deposit as soon as possible so he could go home.  He was tired of the flaky associates, but since he was just a keyholder shift supervisor, he wasn’t in charge of disciplining them.  Yosuke had just wrapped up preparing the deposit and was locking up the safe when he heard a strange noise coming from the receiving area – a sort of thrumming noise that suddenly stopped.  Yosuke stared at the wall that was closest to receiving, considering whether or not he should just pretend he hadn’t heard anything so he could leave, before looking around for anything he may be able to use as a weapon.  He eventually pulled a hammer out of the toolkit in the office before making his way out the door, ensuring he had his keys on him while he slowly made his way back to their receiving area.

He carefully poked his head around the shelf adjacent to receiving, eyes immediately spotting a large blue box that was sitting in the middle of his receiving area with a strange, gray haired man standing next to it while looking around.  Yosuke stared at him before staring at the box that had suddenly shown up in the middle of his loading zone.  It said Police on the side and kind of reminded Yosuke of the little booths Japanese officers sometimes populated so citizens can easily reach them for local issues.  The gray haired man turned, and Yosuke was surprised that he looked young – around his age even – but was dressed in a long coat with a sweater vest and bowtie that made him feel like a college professor.  “How did you get back here?” Yosuke called, gripping the hammer tightly in his hand.

The man turned to face him, face calm and collected.  “Hello,” he called.  “I’m here investigating something.”

“Uh, the store’s kind of closed.  You can’t be in here,” Yosuke said.  The man suddenly pulled out a little leather wallet, similar to what an officer or an inspector may have and flashed it at him quickly before stowing it back in his jacket.

“I’m here on important business,” he replied, distractedly looking around.

Yosuke had barely had a chance to read the badge, but it almost looked like it said LP on it.  What was a lost prevention guy doing here after hours without any prior warning…and what was this thing sitting in his receiving and how did it get there?  Yosuke shook his head.  “Unfortunately I’m about to lock up so you can’t st…” he started to say, stopping when the odd man suddenly ran over and dove head first into the baler.  Yosuke cursed under his breath before rushing over, trying to yank the odd man out while shouting, “What the hell, man?!  If you’re the LP you know this isn’t meeting safety standards!  What if it goes off – you’ll be crushed!”

He eventually yanked the man out and stumbled back, with the silver haired man tumbling on top of him while clutching something in his hand.  At first Yosuke thought it was a mouse, but upon further inspection it was an odd dark green color and almost looked slimy.  “Ah hah!  There you are,” the odd man said, not seeming to care that he was currently sprawled on top of Yosuke.

“Dude, get off,” Yosuke huffed, shoving him off and staring at the odd creature wriggling in his hand.  “What is that?”

“This?  This little creature is from a planet far from here.  They sometimes get lost when traveling through wormholes and seem to be attracted to cardboard for some reason,” he said, petting it as if it were a cat.  The creature made an odd grating noise that Yosuke figured seemed kind of like a purr.  “Unfortunately, while they eat cardboard as infants, when they grow up they’ll eat pretty much anything.  They can get pretty large.  I figured it was best she didn’t stay here.”

Yosuke stared at the strange man before staring at the creature and back at the blue box again.  ‘Maybe I’m hallucinating.  This could also be a dream,’ he thought, pinching himself and wincing when it hurt.  “So, what’s your name?” Yosuke asked, rubbing at the red mark he left on his arm.

“I go by the Doctor,” the silver-haired man replied.  He stood up, reaching out his hand to Yosuke.  “And yours?”

“Yosuke,” he replied, gripping his hand unsurely and allowing him to pull him up.  This man kept getting stranger and stranger with his weird pet, blue box, and title for a name.  That’s when there was suddenly a new sound, almost like a very loud fan, and Yosuke turned to see a tear in the space time continuum open up in front of him, opening up to reveal a swirling mass not much different from a tornado, only on a linear scale.  There was a loud growling sound on the other end and both Yosuke and the Doctor turned to stare at it.

“This is what I was afraid of,” the Doctor muttered to himself, and Yosuke turned to him with brows raised.

“What do you mean?” he asked, surprised when the silver haired man suddenly grabbed his hand. 

He turned back to look at him and simply said, “Run!”  He then tugged on Yosuke’s hand and began dragging him down the aisle, just as Yosuke heard a loud crashing sound.  He turned his head to see a similar creature to the small one in the Doctor’s hand…only it was  on a much larger scale and had knocked over several uboats when it had come through the wormhole.  Yosuke immediately picked up speed, dashing ahead of the Doctor and tugging him along instead, not noticing the pleased smile cross the man’s face at the action.  This Yosuke intrigued him; he was obviously unsure about the strange events going on, but still managed to face them head on.

“Why is it chasing us?” Yosuke asked, glancing back and seeing that the large creature did indeed seem to be in pursuit.  It was knocking items off of the aisles and Yosuke winced at the thought of trying to clean that up later.  Or having to figure out a reason why a bunch of product was suddenly damaged.

“She is upset that we have her child.  I was merely trying to return her to her wormhole however…the mother doesn’t know that and I don’t speak her dialect, sadly,” the Doctor said.  Yosuke almost stopped to turn and stare at him, but the impending threat kept him going.

“So what do we do?” Yosuke asked.

“We have to lure it back to the wormhole.  If we can get the child inside the mother will go with her.  We only have about,” the Doctor checked a watch on his hand, “5 minutes before it winks out of existence.”

Yosuke groaned before sharply turning, moving up a different aisle so he could double back around toward receiving.  Once he had the alien creature’s mother chasing along this aisle, he cut back up the row that took them back to receiving.  “Give me the child,” he said, gently pulling it from the Doctor’s hands before pushing him away and dashing forward, much faster when he was on his own.  The creature slid by the silver haired man, focus entirely on her child, and Yosuke ran up to the wormhole, staring the creature down and holding her child carefully in his hands.  His legs were shaking – both from the exertion and from fear – but he held his ground and stared the creature down.  When it got close enough, barreling down at him, he tossed the child at it and dove out of the way, the creature cradling the child to it with an arm shaped like a tentacle as it slid back into the wormhole just as it was closing.  Yosuke lay sprawled out on the receiving floor, panting heavily and wondering if he’d even be able to go home now with all of the mess he had to clean up.

To his surprise, the Doctor walked over to him, kneeling next to him and grinning proudly.  “You did a very good job,” he praised, offering his hand one more time.  Yosuke accepted it and let him pull him up.  “Let me show you something,” the Doctor said, pulling out a key and walking over to the blue box.  He used the key to unlock the door before opening it, revealing a large room with a lot of strange equipment in the middle that was far too big to fit in that small box.  In fact, it looked almost as big as Yosuke’s receiving area, and there were doors that signified it led out into even more rooms.  Yosuke stepped forward, poking his head in before stepping out and staring at his receiving, unable to wrap his brain around it.

“What…is this?” he asked.

“Her name is the T.A.R.D.I.S,” the Doctor said proudly.  “She can travel through time and space.  And I would like to offer you to be my companion.”

Yosuke turned to look at him, several things rushing through his mind.  He had his job, his school, a 401(k), his parents…  But then he looked at the T.A.R.D.I.S, and he suddenly thought about the possibilities of freedom and adventure.  Yosuke had honestly been tired of his job, unsure about his schooling and his future, and maybe something like this could give him some enjoyment in life again.  He turned back to look at the silver haired man, tilting his head slightly.  “Partner,” he said, and the Doctor raised an eyebrow in confusion.  “Call me your partner, not your companion.  Companion sounds too weird.”

The Doctor smiled widely at him.  “Partner works,” he agreed, and Yosuke followed him inside the T.A.R.D.I.S, giving him a tour of the control room before asking, “Where to first?  We can go to anywhere in space and time that you’d like.”

“Like, I could see samurai if I wanted to?” Yosuke suddenly asked, looking excited at the idea.

“Yes, or the end of the universe, or the beginning of the universe, planets you’ve never even dreamed of,” the Doctor listed off.  “But we can certainly start with samurai if you’d like.”

Yosuke turned to the Doctor, his eyes sparkling with life at the possibilities.  “How about we start simple,” he mused.  “Take me to outer space?”

The Doctor began inputting coordinates into the T.A.R.D.I.S’s navigational computer.  “How about we get an up close look at the Milky Way?” he suggested, and Yosuke nodded enthusiastically.

“That sounds awesome,” he agreed, and the Doctor grinned back. 

“Hold on tight,” he warned, and with a sudden lurch, the ship began to make that loud whining noise Yosuke had heard earlier and began to fade out of existence in his store, reappearing instead hovering over the Milky Way.  The Doctor had the door open, since there was a force field that protected them from the pressures of space, and Yosuke stared out in amazement at how vast his galaxy was.  He couldn’t even tell where the sun or the planet earth was grouped with all of the other solar systems that were out there. 

“We really are small, aren’t we?” he breathed, staring out in amazement.

“And yet, so very large,” the Doctor murmured, almost to himself.  There was a reason he took on companions after all – they taught him more about the universe than his travels alone ever could.  He watched Yosuke take in the view of all the solar systems swirling around in one large galaxy, smiling softly at his wide eyed expression.  He was sure Yosuke, in particular, would teach him a lot, and he was looking forward to it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I have been keeping up with Souyowrimo every day so far, but I have started a new job and the next few days at work are going to have a really odd schedule with very little time between shifts (I'm training and have a job where I kind of need to know a little about every other part of the place I work so I'm working different shifts to see what the others do up front). Because I finally caught up to my little pre-written cushion I had, I'm basically writing every day at this point which is why I probably won't be able to post the next few days. I will catch up over the weekend though and still plan on writing each day even if it's late. I appreciate everyone's understanding!


	15. Foreign

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For day 15 of Souyowrimo the topic is "foreign." For Narukami Yu, before coming to Inaba friendship was a foreign concept.

Hanamura Yosuke was an enigma.  Yu didn’t know what to make of his friendly classmate.  So far all week the guy had been talking to him and acting friendly with him, apparently bonding over the fact they were both from the city, and Yu didn’t know what to make of it.  He was bewildered because at his other schools, except for the occasional polite chatter doing a group project, no one really seemed to go out of their way to talk to Yu.  Except when they needed something, like for a school assignment.  But Yosuke?  He talked to him about anything.  And he didn’t seem all that worried about his grades, although Yu found himself giving the poor guy a few answers when he was called out in class anyway.  Yosuke always thanked him with that bright smile, and would do little things like bring him a drink during break to make up for it.

After Yu, Yosuke, and Chie went through their strange experience in the television, and especially after Yu saw Yosuke’s insecurities when facing his shadow, he began to have a name for it.  ‘This must be what it means to have a friend,’ Yu realized, startled by the concept.  He had never really had a friend before coming to Inaba, and yet here was this guy that had naturally managed to find himself by his side.  And it seemed to have a ripple effect as slowly other people began to entwine their way into Yu’s life as well.  Yu began to pick up on expectations from Yosuke in order to understand how to handle these new friendships too.  Yosuke seemed to like hanging out with him, so when other people asked he found ways to add time with them to his schedule.  Yu was always used to balancing extracurriculars, but having to juggle people was a whole other matter entirely.

Especially when one day his first friend, best friend, _partner_ , expressed disappointment that they weren’t hanging out as much as he used to.  Yosuke wasn’t his only friend at this point and Yu was juggling more relationships than he had ever thought possible.  Yu had just had to turn Yosuke down for a trip out to Okina because he already had plans with Chie and Yukiko that afternoon.  Yu stared down at his schedule, full of clubs, jobs, plans with other people, and found himself blanking as his brain swam with new feelings about how to prioritize everything. 

The old Yu would put activities first, always focused on extracurriculars which would look good on a future school application.  The leader Yu prioritized the part time jobs, knowing that he needed more money to buy things for the IT.  He also found that juggling all of these relationships seemed to have an impact on the shadow world, since it seemed to feed off of the lack of bonds between modern day people.  But Yu?  The Yu that was starting to learn that he was incredibly lonely before coming to Inaba, and that he cherished his first friend, the one who taught him what friendship was?  The Yu that was slowly beginning to understand a new previously foreign feeling, one tied to something beyond friendship that he was struggling to understand?  He wanted to make that his friendship with Yosuke was his first priority, and he found himself scratching off his plans to work part time on a Thursday afternoon when he knew Yosuke didn’t have a shift at Junes.  He called Yosuke up, asking if he wanted to hang out, and smiled when he heard the excitement creep into his friend’s voice.  It looked like Yosuke still had things to teach him about friendship, and Yu was looking forward to being his student for a very long time.


	16. Inaba

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 16 for Souyowrimo has a theme of Inaba. Yosuke is finally leaving Inaba for the city and reflects back on his complicated relationship with the town.

This was it.  Yosuke was finally moving away from Inaba and back to the big city.  As he settled in on the train, headphones on and head resting against the window as he waved at his parents and Teddie who were seeing him off, he couldn’t help but think back over his complicated relationship with the tiny town.  Three years ago when he had first moved to Inaba, he had been obnoxious and upset at being dragged away from the city, his friends and his old way of life.  Even before he began to encounter the hate his family would receive from many of the townspeople, Yosuke had already decided he wouldn’t like the country town with its lack of attractions and slow easy pace.  Inaba was by far inferior and there wasn’t anything to like out in the sticks.

Then, things got worse when Yosuke realized that not only did he have to face the awkwardness of being an exchange student, but he was also “that Junes boy”, the son of the store manager for the super store that was dragging the town to the future and ruining local business.  Unexpectedly, instead of becoming even more bitter about the town, Yosuke found himself almost feeling guilty.  He walked in the shopping district and saw the shuttered stores and dwindling business, and while he was proud of his dad and knew how hard he worked, he couldn’t help but feel like maybe his family was a little responsible.  No matter how often he frequented the shopping district and bought things with his hard earned money, it seemed the shopping district couldn’t help but view it as tainted and it seemed no matter what he did he would just be an outcast.  It made Yosuke want to move back to the city all the more.

Then Yu showed up.  The city boy who got the welcome Yosuke had kind of expected on his own first day until he found out he had been labeled by Junes instead of by the city.  Revered for his cool attitude, city style, and quietness that was deemed mysterious, Yu immediately got the following and attention that Yosuke had honestly craved.  Yosuke had been a bit jealous at first, although it hadn’t stopped him from attaching to Yu, hoping that since he didn’t have the stigma against him that a lot of the other students did he may be able to make a friend; overtime that jealousy ebbed away as he realized Yu saw value in him, something he hadn’t seen in himself.

Yu did more than that.  Yu got him to appreciate eating at Aiyas and Souzai Daigaku, hanging out at the Samagawa Floodplains, wandering the streets of the town with nothing but their own chatter as distraction.  Yosuke, in all his time in the city wasting time with friends, had never had that connection with people that seemed to be built when they had nothing else to do.  Now wandering around Inaba was no longer boring, it was familiar, comforting even.  Yu also seemed upset by Yosuke’s treatment by the shopping district, reminding him it wasn’t his fault and allowing Yosuke to see that his choice not to blame the townspeople was a mature one.  His cousin’s appreciation for Junes also slowly allowed Yosuke to have pride in his store and his father’s work again.

Even after Yu left for the city and Yosuke desperately missed his presence, Inaba became a reminder of meeting his partner and the times they shared there.  It was nostalgic, looking at the dock and remembering Yu’s excited face anytime he felt a nibble on his line.  Every time Yosuke saw one of the stray cats Yu would feed, he would pull out a treat he tended to keep on him to feed them in his absence.  Yosuke had half expected to go back to hating Inaba now that Yu was no longer there to give it meaning, but instead he found himself continuing to love the place that Yu had taught him to appreciate.  Although Yu was gone, the value still remained.  So now, even though he was going to meet his best friend in the city he loved, he couldn’t help but feel a bit sad.  Inaba had become his home and leaving was bittersweet, even if he was excited for the future.


	17. PDA

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 17 of Souyowrimo has a theme of PDA. This is set in the Journaling Your Feelings universe after their beach date (also refer to day 9 summer vacation).

Yosuke and Yu were wandering around the Samegawa Flood Plains in the early evening after spending their afternoon with their friends who were finally all in town for summer break.  Rise had hung all over Yu like usual, while Yosuke did his best to try to stomp down his jealously, knowing that if Rise was aware of their relationship, she probably wouldn’t have done it.  Honestly, part of the problem is they hadn’t revealed everything to their friends yet, which was their fault.  But, that didn’t stop him from getting clingy now to show his earlier displeasure.

Yu had looked apologetic the whole time, but they both knew that if he had tried to pull away, it would have led to some sort of an explanation.  Both boys enjoyed the relative peace of their relationship without their friend’s knowledge, for they knew that once they found out things would change.  There would be lots of teasing, especially on Yosuke’s behalf, and Yu honestly wanted to spare him from it as long as possible.  He had to admit though, Yosuke’s misplaced jealously was a bit cute, and he certainly didn’t mind the way Yosuke was pressing closely to him now, surreptitiously looking around for signs of anyone else in the area.  As far as he could tell, they were the only ones there.  “So, partner,” Yosuke began, a mischievous look in his eyes.  Yu’s reaction to that expression was always mixed, because it could equally lead to either sexy things or one of Yosuke’s terrible ideas.  He had a feeling that tonight it would be the former, however.

“Hm?” he replied, eyes watching Yosuke expectantly.

“When we were at the beach there was one thing we neglected to do,” Yosuke said, tilting his head thoughtfully while watching Yu with knowing eyes.

Yu couldn’t help the smile that tugged at his lips.  “And what was that?” he asked, heart beating in anticipation.

“This,” Yosuke said, moving in for a kiss, pushing Yu down against the embankment as he straddled his lap.  Yu couldn’t help but chuckle against Yosuke’s lips, accepting his kiss gratefully and fully ready to become lost in the heat spreading through his body, when they were interrupted by a loud gasp. 

Yosuke jerked away, staring up at Chie in alarm who was staring at both of them in shock.  “What the hell?!” she shouted, pointing at both of them accusingly while Yosuke quickly scrambled off Yu’s lap.

Yu immediately missed Yosuke’s body heat and couldn’t help but silently curse Chie in his head.  He loved his friend dearly, but this really was a bad time.  “When were you going to tell me?” Chie demanded, looking accusingly at Yosuke with her hands on her hips.

Yu opened his mouth to speak, and Chie immediately held up her hand.  “I’m not talking to you Narukami,” she snapped.  “After all the time I put up with your whining about Yu being gone…”

“Listen, it wasn’t something I was ready to talk about, ok?” Yosuke said, staring at Chie desperately.  “You’re right, though, we should have told you guys.”

Chie let out a huff, letting her arms fall to her side.  “You know we’re all happy for you guys, right?” she asked.  “Please tell me you’ll tell everyone now.  You know I suck at keeping secrets.”

Yosuke chuckled at her reply, looking a bit drained while Yu glanced at him.  “Are you ready to tell everyone?” he asked, and Yosuke nodded.

“Yeah, we can meet up at Junes like old times I guess,” he said with a shrug.

“You’re ok talking about it there?” Chie asked curiously.

“If those people never paid attention to the weird stuff we talked about before, I doubt they will now,” Yosuke shrugged.  “Besides, I’m planning on leaving Inaba once I graduate, so what does it matter?”

Chie looked a little sad at his reply, but gamely hid it.  “Good.  I’ll be there to kick your butt in gear if you try to put it off too long,” she grinned.  She then stepped forward and shyly gave both of them a hug.

“I’m happy for you,” she said first to Yu.  “I think everyone knew you liked him,” she added, grinning deviously when Yu blushed in surprise, and Yosuke sputtered at her.

She then turned to Yosuke.  “I’m glad you’re finally being honest with yourself,” she said.  “You look happier that way.”

Yosuke blinked at her, before sheepishly putting his hand behind his head.  “Thanks, Chie,” he said, and she smiled at him.

“If you don’t tell everyone tomorrow, you owe me some steak,” she threatened, and Yosuke laughed.

“I may treat you to steak anyway,” he admitted.  “What brings you out here?  I swore I didn’t see anyone around.”

Chie blushed.  “I had been practicing my martial arts and messed up a move,” she admitted.  “I had probably slipped when you were looking around.”

Yosuke laughed at her response and she punched him on the shoulder, while Yu shook his head at their shenanigans.  They all headed back to the shopping district, Yu and Yosuke casually hand in hand while Chie and Yosuke engaged in a lively conversation.  Yu suddenly felt better about coming out to their friends and thought maybe they wouldn’t have to worry after all.


	18. Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 18 for Souyowrimo has a theme of birthday. I decided to tweak it a bit and wrote about Japan's Coming of Age ceremony so it was kind of like a "birthday" for Yu, Yosuke, Chie, and Yukiko ^^

Yosuke and Yu were over at the Amagi Inn, the staff helping them get dressed up in traditional men’s kimono and hakama for their Coming of Age ceremony.  They had both traveled to Inaba for New Year’s, both to see their family and to participate in the local ceremony with their former high school friends which was held the day after.  Yu felt it would be much more special in Inaba compared to one of the big ones in the city.  They were both renting their kimonos from Kanji’s mother and greatly appreciated that Yukiko offered to let them get dressed at her inn, pointing out correctly that they probably needed the help getting dressed.

Yu’s was a dark gray color with a very simple pattern while Yosuke had picked out a dark green since he couldn’t really wear a flashy color on such a formal day.  Yukiko and Chie were in the other room changing into furisode; Yukiko’s was an elegant gold and red one with a white furry trim around the neck while Chie’s was green and gold and not quite as ornate.  She grumbled the whole time they got ready, hating that she would be so restricted in the heavily layered outfit.  When the whole crew was ready, they stepped out into the hall, shyly acknowledging how nice and adult the others looked as Yukiko’s mother ushered them together for a picture.  She had tears in her eyes, and Yosuke could only imagine what it would be like when they ran into the other parents at the shrine where the festivities were to be held.  He knew his mom would also probably be tearfully snapping photos while his dad and Dojima awkwardly told the boys how proud they were.  Nanako would probably be dressed in a cute kimono, while Teddie would want to tightly hug all of his sempai.  All of their classmates would try to jostle for Yu’s attention who many hadn’t seen since he left the first time.

Yu squeezed Yosuke’s shoulder, bringing him back to the present, and motioned for him to head to the car.  One of the staff was driving them over since Yukiko’s mother couldn’t leave the inn, and they would be meeting up with the rest of the parents at the shrine.  When they arrived, Chie’s dad and mom were the first to spot them, waving them over to give both girl’s a hug before quickly ushering the four of them together for pictures.  Yosuke’s parents who were standing nearby noticed and caught Dojima and Nanako’s attention before the whole group including Teddie came to join.  Just as Yosuke thought, his mom started taking photos of them as a group, then them with Teddie and Nanako, before splitting everyone up by family as well.  Yu had to gently take the camera from her hands for her own family picture, smiling and motioning for her to join Yosuke, his father, and Teddie as they huddled together.  She then asked Yukiko to take a picture of them with Yu as well, and he blushed before joining in on the photo.

Afterward, Dojima pulled Yu aside to hand him a nice watch that he had gotten him for a gift, along with that talk Yosuke had been expecting.  Yosuke’s gift had been given to him that morning – a new set of headphones – but he was also pulled aside from his dad who put a hand on his shoulder and sincerely told him how proud he was of him.  Yosuke still felt tears well up in his eyes, even as he tried to ignore the fact that his mom was still snapping pictures. Fortunately, before Yu could be discovered by their old classmates, the mayor stepped up to give his speech, welcoming them all into adulthood and reminding them of some of their responsibilities now that they had made it.  After his speech, the young adults began to make their way to the shrine with their families, everyone wanting to pray for their health and happiness.  It was shortly after this that Yu was spotted by their former classmates, soon being surrounded by Kou and Daisuke along with Ai and others.  Yosuke shook his head and smiled, glad that here Yu was surrounded by so much love, while Chie wrapped a friendly arm around his shoulder.

“You ready to go drink?” she asked excitedly, since they were now officially considered legal adults.

“Heck yeah,” he grinned, returning the half hug eagerly.  “I can’t wait to see elegant Miss Yukiko get smashed,” he added, and Yukiko rolled her eyes at him.

“I’ve been drinking sake for years at formal events at the shrine.  Yu and I have taken bets on whether or not you or Chie will be going down first,” she said with a wide smile.  Both Yosuke and Chie felt the knife hidden within the smile and shivered.

“That’s cold, Yukiko,” Chie pouted at her, while Yosuke was surprised by a sudden hand on his shoulder.  He turned to see Daisuke standing there expectantly.

“Dude, you need to come and join our picture,” he said, dragging Yosuke over to where Kou and Yu were waiting.  One of the other parents snapped a picture of the four boys, before Yu waved at them and politely explained that he had plans with Yosuke, Chie, and Yukiko that afternoon.  They were all going to go change before heading to an izakaya in Okina in order to celebrate together.  Yukiko and Chie returned to the shrine while Yu joined Yosuke at his house where he already had some spare clothes waiting for him.  He had spent the night at Yosuke’s after they did the midnight shrine visit since he hadn’t wanted to disturb Nanako and Dojima.  Yosuke’s parents were going to be up anyway and Teddie had accompanied them the night before.

Teddie kept popping in as they got changed, pouting that he wasn’t invited on their trip even though both boys explained he wasn’t legally allowed to drink since he had no form of identification.  It wasn’t like Teddie really had an age, but he wouldn’t be able to order anything at the restaurant.  Besides, Yosuke could only imagine how chaotic he would be with alcohol in his system.  Once they were changed, they headed to the train station to meet up with Yukiko and Chie, all of them boarding together and catching up as they made their way to the city.

Once they arrived, the found seats together at the bar, proudly showing off their IDs as they ordered drinks for the first time.  Everyone opted for a beer, trusting the bartender’s judgement since they hadn’t been able to form preferences yet, before ordering their first course for food.  Yu and Yosuke talked about school, while Yukiko talked about the online classes she was taking while learning more about running the inn.  She was focusing on business so she could continue to run her family’s Inn successfully once she inherited it.  Chie, meanwhile, talked about studying for the police academy and how she was working with Dojima on a training schedule so she would be ready for the physical activity once she started. 

They took a break from catching up once their drinks had been poured and placed in front of them, all of them exchanging a glance.  “So, wanna see who can take the longest drink?” Yosuke asked, noticing Yu shake his head while Chie looked fired up at the idea.

“You’re so going down Hanamura,” she grinned.  Yosuke noticed Yu exchange a look with Yukiko, and suddenly remembered her comment about their ongoing bet.

“Loser gets to pay for the first round,” Yosuke added, which caught Yukiko and Yu’s attention.

“So nice of you to pay for us,” Yukiko replied demurely, while Yu patted Yosuke on the shoulder.

Yosuke shrugged him off, a determined glint in his eye as he gripped his cup.  “Kanpai!” he said, all of them clinking their glasses together before they began their first chug.  He quickly realized it was a mistake.  The one thing he hadn’t really considered about beer, other than the initial off-putting taste, was the fact it was carbonated.  He immediately choked on the drink, having to set down his glass to clear his airways, while shooting the others a sheepish glance as he proved them right.

Yu also quickly set down his glass only moments after Yosuke, frowning at the taste and not looking that excited by it, while Yukiko and Chie continued to chug.  To everyone’s surprise, Yukiko finished first with Chie having to stop about halfway through.  “Yukiko, you honestly terrify me sometimes,” Yosuke said, and she looked proud at his comment.

“Thanks for the first round, Yosuke,” she grinned, and he sighed before glancing back at his drink and calculating the amount of money he had on him.  Looked like he’d only be getting one drink tonight so he may as well take it slow.

“I’ll cover the first course,” Yu offered, surprising Yosuke who glanced over at him.  “I did come second to last,” he added.

“I’ll get the next course then,” Chie said, looking excitedly at the menu.  “Which means I get to pick so we’re getting yakitori!”

“I’ll get the next round,” Yukiko giggled, and Yosuke looked at his friends gratefully. 

“She needs another glass,” Yosuke said to their server, pointing at Yukiko’s empty mug as the server picked it up in order to give her a freshly chilled one.  They ended up having fun over the course of the evening, Yu surprising everyone by being the most lightweight while Yukiko was definitely the heaviest drinker.  Even though they had separate lives and goals at this point, Yu and Yosuke at college in the city while Chie and Yukiko pursued careers in Inaba, they still had each other’s back and every time they hung out it was like no time had passed at all.  They all looked forward to what the future held as they took their first steps into adulthood.


	19. Personas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For Day 19, the theme is Personas. Yu and Yosuke have a conversation about what their experience is like with their different personas~

Yu and Yosuke were enjoying lunch on the roof, chatting about nothing in particular as they ate Yu’s finely crafted meal.  After a moment, however, Yu suddenly grew quiet and Yosuke glanced at him, knowing what the expression that crossed Yu’s face meant.  He was pondering something and mulling over how to bring it up.  “Cat got your tongue, partner?” Yosuke asked casually, and Yu looked over at him.

“What’s it like having your own Persona?” he asked.  “I’ve been curious for awhile now.”

Yosuke thoughtfully considered Yu.  His partner, when he really put more thought into it, was an enigma.  He never faced his own shadow and as a result he didn’t have a personal Persona and instead cycled through a variety of them.  He hadn’t considered the fact that Yu’s relationship with them was very different than his with Jiraiya, and that he might feel left out as a result.  After mulling it over for a moment he said, “I guess the best way to describe it is like having those little angel or demons on your shoulder, only instead of telling you right from wrong, they get mad when you lie to yourself.”

Yu leaned forward, looking incredibly interested.  “So, Jiraiya doesn’t really speak in words, so much as I get a feeling that he’s unhappy or he’s pleased.  It’s stronger in the shadow world, but I can still feel it out here too.”

“Can you describe it?” Yu asked curiously.

Yosuke closed his eyes as he thought.  “Sometimes, when I’m being hard on myself, Jiraiya will kind of nag at me internally.  It’s just sound but he gets his point across.  Or I’ve felt light pain before too, like he’ll give me a migraine if I get too bad.” 

“What about when he’s happy?” Yu asked, and Yosuke immediately reached up to touch his hand to his chest in response.

“It feels warm right here,” Yosuke said.  “Like he’s proud of me.  It…it always makes me feel happy,” he admitted, a light blush on his face.  “I definitely prefer that to the nagging,” he chuckled.

Yu stared at Yosuke, a soft smile in his eyes, before looking away with a wistful expression.  “Sometimes I wish I could face my own shadow,” he said, leaning back.  “I’d like something like that, I think.  My own Persona that’s looking out for my best interests.”

“You only say that because you haven’t had to experience that embarrassing little piece of hell yourself,” Yosuke groaned.  “Trust me – you’re definitely lucky.”

Yu shrugged and Yosuke shook his head.  His partner was definitely a strange one; it would figure that he actually wished he could face his shadow even though it had been one of the toughest experiences in Yosuke’s life.  Yosuke then glanced back at Yu and asked, “What’s it like for you then?  With all of those Personas?  I always kind of figured Izanagi was like yours although I never see him anymore.”

Yu blushed.  “Izanagi’s gone,” he admitted.  “I used him to form a contract with a different Persona.  I think he may have been closest to what you’re talking about though,” he said thoughtfully.  “He was quieter than the others at least…”

Now it was Yosuke’s turn to look interested.  “So, each Persona has their own personality and way of thinking,” Yu explained.  “You can probably guess based on appearance.  Some are kind and benevolent, some have an eloquent way of speaking while others are more simplistic.  Some like the Jacks are mischievous and playful, while others are more sensual.  They’re not looking out for my interests though like Jiraiya is for you.  They all have their own interests and sometimes bicker with one another when I rotate between them.”

“That does sound kind of like a headache,” Yosuke admitted.  “I mean it’s really cool and useful that you can just pick out which one to use but…I think I’ll stick with Jiraiya.”  Yosuke felt warmth blossom in his chest with his words, and he could feel that quite humming sound from Jiraiya that showed that he was pleased.  Yu watched Yosuke light up for a moment, and he smiled to himself.  Maybe he’d be able to tell when Jiraiya was pleased too, just as long as he paid attention.  Yu felt closer to Yosuke after their conversation, and he just knew that they were one step closer to that unbreakable bond Igor was always talking about.  Yu couldn’t wait.


	20. Working

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 20 of Souyowrimo. The theme is working. I set this in the Yosuke's Surprise Trip universe after the events of day 12 - gift.

Yosuke slid on his worn running shoes that he used to wear during his early days in college, before he got so overrun with studying and the radio club that he just one day stopped working out.  He pulled on his new set of headphones, very similar to the ones he wore back in Inaba but a replacement from his parents when he graduated high school since they had noticed how worn his old ones had gotten.  Yosuke took much better care of this set since he wasn’t wearing them while battling shadows in the tv world.  He then stood up and looked at the door, trying to mentally psych himself up for what he was about to do.  He hadn’t gone jogging in years, and it was early morning after he had returned home from his shift just in time to see Yu off for work.  This was going to be difficult.

Yosuke had noticed lately that his energy seemed worn down and his body ached more than usual.  At first, he had chalked it up to getting older, but once he noticed that his naturally slim body began to look a little pudgy, he decided it was time for a lifestyle change.  He really wasn’t one to work out or go to the gym, but jogging was something he had been good at in high school, especially in the shadow world, so he figured it would be the easiest thing to pick up again.  Even if he probably needed to invest in new shoes and it was hard not to just crawl into his inviting bed, still warm from where Yu had been sleeping in it not even half an hour ago.

Yosuke sighed before downing a glass of water and heading downstairs, quickly doing a few stretches while shivering in the early morning air.  By afternoon it would be nice and warm, but since the sun had just come up there hadn’t been enough time for it to warm up the chill morning air.  Yosuke saw his breath when he breathed out and considered going back inside for a jacket…but figured if he did that he probably would give up for today, and he was bound and determined to do this.  Yosuke flipped through his playlists on his phone, finding one he had thrown together before work just for this purpose, and took off once it started.  For about 5 minutes Yosuke was at a pretty decent speed and form, relishing in the feel of running again and feeling like maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all.  That is until he realized how hard it was to breathe and the fact his muscles were screaming at him in a way they rarely did when he was younger.  This was like a full sprint through a whole dungeon floor trying to get away from the Reaper tired and he was only getting started!

Yosuke ended up cutting his jog much shorter than he initially anticipated, but he made a mental promise (set in stone by Susano-o who seemed interested in his sudden interest in jogging again) to keep it up several times a week until his stamina was back to where it used to be.  Several weeks passed and Yosuke slowly felt his form begin to improve closer to where it was in his youth, along with an increase in his stamina and energy which also carried over to his job and day to day routine.  He noticed some subtle changes in his body shape as well, and couldn’t help but feel a bit proud at the fact his legs were beginning to shape up and look tone again.  It was just too bad Yu was out of the loop about it, since he always exercised when he was at work.  Yu similarly tended to go to the gym after his shift at work since Yosuke was usually still sleeping at that point and it held off on disturbing his partner.

So it wasn’t until one of those warm afternoons on a weekend where they were both off that Yu finally noticed.  He was lounging on the couch in his pajamas, reading a book while Hana napped in his lap.  Yosuke suddenly wandered into the room, having just woken up, and Yu glanced up at him, noting that Yosuke was still dressed in his boxers and a t-shirt with messier hair than usual from sleeping.  As Yosuke went to plop in the armchair across from him, phone in hand which meant he was probably planning on playing one of his mobile games for awhile, Yu found his eyes trailing down to Yosuke’s bare legs where they remained trained as Yosuke casually flung them over the arm of the chair.

Yu sat up, ignoring Hana as she clambered off of him and scooted down to the end of the couch to curl up again, and continued to stare.  Yosuke’s legs, and the hint of his stomach that was showing where his t-shirt was riding up, looked solid and fit.  ‘When did that happen?’ Yu suddenly wondered, for he was well aware of the habits Yosuke had fallen into lately, chalking it up to stress and the shift he was working at the station.  He had been trying his best to control their diet at home, but knew Yosuke was often too tired to get exercise so he had refrained from nagging him about it.  Yu began to slowly realize that Yosuke seemed to have gotten his old energy back lately, and that he must have started exercising without telling him.  Yu had initially thought that Yosuke looked just like he did in high school again, but he quickly realized that in reality he looked much, much better.  His legs were more muscular due to his age, and his chest and shoulders where broader as well.  Yosuke was still slimmer than he was, but there was definitely a noticeable difference in his size compared to when he was younger.  And Yu couldn’t seem to get enough.

“Partner,” he said, getting up and walking over to where Yosuke was sprawled on the armchair.  His boyfriend glanced up from his phone, looking confused. He could tell what Yu’s mood was, but couldn’t figure why it was suddenly coming out.

“Hey,” he said, flushing when Yu suddenly put his hand on his thigh and squeezed lightly.  He then tugged the phone out of Yosuke’s hands and climbed onto his lap until he was straddling his hips. 

“You’ve been hiding something from me,” he accused, eyes looking amused at Yosuke’s gaze as it was quickly heating up at the turn of events.

“Oh, what’s that?” Yosuke asked, settling in and placing both hands on Yu’s thighs where they were gripping him.

Yu leaned forward.  “When did you start working out again?” he asked, silver bangs brushing Yosuke’s forehead.

Yosuke grinned.  “Took you awhile,” he teased, slowly running his thumbs up and down Yu’s thighs.  Yu shuddered before leaning in for a long kiss, warm mouth molding against Yosuke’s as their breath mingled together.  Luckily Yosuke appeared to have brushed his teeth once he woke up, mixing well with the taste of earl gray from Yu’s tea he had been sipping.

Once Yu pulled away he admitted, “It’s been far too long since we did something like this.”  He frowned slightly, and Yosuke smiled softly at the pout on his face.

“You’re right.  Should we make up for it?” Yosuke asked, tilting his head suggestively, and Yu grinned before diving in for another kiss.

“Hopefully now you’ll have the stamina,” he teased, and Yosuke grimaced before pushing him off of him.  Yu quickly stood up, looking a bit disappointed when Yosuke also stood up and gave him an annoyed look. 

That look suddenly melted into a mischievous grin as he taunted, “Are you sure you’ll be able to keep up?” before walking confidently toward their bedroom, not looking behind him to see if Yu was following along.  He stared at Yosuke for a split second before hurrying after him, laughing as Yosuke impatiently pulled him into the room and pushed him onto the bed.  Yu was looking forward to appreciating each and every toned muscle on Yosuke’s body, and knew they were in for a long afternoon.


	21. Vacation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This story is also set during the Yosuke's Surprise Trip universe. This one occurs after the trip however with Yosuke taking Yu on a trip for their anniversary.

Yu didn’t know what to expect for his upcoming anniversary with Yosuke.  His boyfriend had just told him to take certain days off and to keep his plans open, obviously planning something to pay him back for his birthday trip.  Yu knew it couldn’t be quite as extravagant as his trip since it was less days, but Yosuke was really good at surprising him and he knew it would be something catered to him.  Yosuke had also been taking on more work trips lately and working some weekends as a result; Yu figured it was to help save up extra money so while he missed having his boyfriend home some weekends, he didn’t say anything.  Now that Yosuke was on his new morning show, Yu got to see him more during the week so it wasn’t quite as bad anyway.

His boyfriend was currently out with Yukiko, Chie, and Rise who were all in town visiting, Yukiko and Chie staying at Rise’s large apartment in the city.  Yu wasn’t quite sure why he hadn’t been invited as well, although he would be going out later to meet up with them for dinner.  He figured it had something to do with their anniversary and tried not to let his mind wander too much over the possibilities.  He didn’t want to get his hopes up or put any pressure on Yosuke, especially since a more cemented partnership would be more symbolic since it wasn’t officially recognized in Japan.  Some places had certificates that gave same sex couples some rights such as hospital visits, but they still weren’t official marriage documents.  Still, it would be nice.

Yu decided to busy himself to get his mind off of his musings, cleaning the litterbox and taking some time to play with Hana, pulling out her feather wand toy that she loved so much.  They had to buy a new feather every few weeks because she would quickly decimate them.  After a relaxing afternoon with his pet, when he finally left the apartment to meet up with his friends and boyfriend, he was in a much more relaxed mood.  He’d just wait to see what Yosuke had in store.

Only days later, it was finally time for the surprise.  Yu woke up to the feeling of cold bed next to him, cringing away from the normally warm spot where his partner was supposed to be and sliding his eyes open.  Hana was in her usual spot curled at the end of the bed while Yosuke was nowhere to be seen.  Yu sat up blearily, glancing at the clock and grimacing at the early hour, especially on a day off.  But, he had to see what Yosuke was up to.  He slid out of bed and out of the bedroom, immediately spotting Yosuke in the living room surrounded by neat piles of clothes he was stuffing into two suitcases.  “What are you doing up so early?” Yu yawned, causing Yosuke to jump in surprise.

“Jeeze, you scared me,” he huffed.  “You had us all packed for our last trip, so I was trying to return the favor.”

Yu grinned before kneeling on the floor next to Yosuke.  He had clothes on the couch behind him with the empty suitcases in front as he tried his best to carefully fit everything.  “I couldn’t sleep without you next to me,” he said, nuzzling Yosuke’s shoulder while his eyes tried to drift back shut.  Yosuke laughed before shaking him back awake.

“I’ve got work to do.  Just curl up on the armchair if you’re so determined to fall back asleep,” he shooed, and Yu pouted at him.  Hana wandered in the room to see what they were both doing, curious with them being up at an odd hour, and she soon leapt onto the couch and lay out over one of Yosuke’s stack of clothes.  Yu took that opportunity to also dive down, stretching out on the floor with his head in Yosuke’s lap.

Yosuke immediately whined at both of them.  “You’re both making this really difficult,” he said, although he refrained from moving either of them and did his best to work around them instead.  Yu smiled in satisfaction, allowing himself to doze off again in Yosuke’s warm and comfortable lap, only waking up when Yosuke carefully moved his head onto a pillow while standing up.  He opened his eyes to see that both suitcases were packed and Yosuke was currently leading their hungry cat over to her food bowl since it was her usual feeding time.  She kept winding between his legs, causing the brunet to have to tread carefully.  Yu watched in amusement as he finally reached her food bowl, picking up the plastic container where they held her cat food and using a measuring cup to pour her the exact amount she needed based on her vet’s recommendation.  He then pet her a few times before walking away as she got to eating.

Yosuke spotted him watching and grinned before saying, “You gonna come and get dressed?  We have to head to the train station soon.”

“Who’s watching Hana?” Yu asked, and Yosuke rolled his eyes.

“Rise.  She did such a good job last time that I figured you’d feel safe with the choice,” he teased, and Yu looked relieved.  Yosuke had once casually suggested letting Teddie come and stay at their apartment when they were both out of town, and Yu had nearly cancelled his work trip until Yosuke had assured him Naoto would be swinging by instead.

Yu stretched and got up, feeling better now that he had gotten a little more sleep and knew his cat would be taken care of.  He followed Yosuke to their room where he was rummaging through the closet for clothes, tossing out a long sleeved shirt and some pants before picking out his underwear.  Yu traveled to the closet instead, preferring to hang most of his clothes in order to avoid wrinkles.  Once they were both dressed, having to wear something a little warm since it was starting to get to cooler fall temperatures, Yosuke dragged them out the door, promising to pick something up for breakfast from one of the vendors close to the train station.  Once they had eaten and boarded a bullet train that Yu noted would be taking them to Nagoya, they stowed their luggage before finding their seats.  Yosuke still managed to have a lot of energy, used to waking up early for his morning show, and when the train started moving he kept nudging Yu and pointing out interesting things he saw along the way.

Yu couldn’t help but compare his actions to their last trip and couldn’t help but feel _slightly_ disgruntled that Yosuke was behaving much better than when he had been taking him to Hokkaido.  He suddenly had an idea and grinned, pulling out his phone and quickly sending off a text to Yosuke who pulled his out the moment it chimed.  Yosuke read it before knowingly glancing at Yu.  “I’d indulge you, partner, but we won’t have the privilege of stopping at a condo immediately after getting off the train,” he teased, setting his phone down.

Yu pouted slightly, before nudging Yosuke lightly with his leg.  “I’m excited to see what you have planned,” he said, looking at Yosuke lovingly.  Yosuke’s eyes softened, before he picked up his phone again and typed out a quick reply.

Yu picked up his phone as it vibrated, looking over at Yosuke’s message and grinning.  He had sent Yosuke a few messages saying, “Partner” before following up with “I’m bored” all in rapid succession.  Yosuke’s response was picture of him after he had gotten back one day from jogging.  Yu had snapped it the moment he walked into the house, covered in sweat and wearing shorts and a t-shirt in the blazing summer heat, holding a towel to his head as he tried to towel off some of the sweat from his neck.  Yosuke had immediately pointed out how the picture cut off the top of his hair slightly, obviously focused a bit more on his exposed legs, and he knew it was one of Yu’s favorite pictures of him.

Yu turned to stare at Yosuke, mouth curving into a grin as he saw Yosuke shoot him a smug look.  Two could play at that game.  Yu began scrolling through his gallery, looking for a particular picture that he clearly remembered Yosuke using for the background photo on his phone back when they had different schedules.  It was a slightly blurry close up shot Yosuke had taken of Yu just after a steamy afternoon together, and in it Yu’s hair was messy as he stared at the camera with half lidded eyes.  When he finally found it, having a copy after Yosuke had sent it to him directly after taking the photo, he sent it back to Yosuke in triumph, waiting expectantly for his response.  It was definitely worth it.

Yosuke blushed, covering his mouth with his hand and nudging Yu’s shoulder in embarrassment, a strangled whine escaping his mouth.  “I told you,” he started to sputter, but Yu cut him off with a quick kiss.

“Do you admit defeat?” he asked, eyes gleaming in amusement, and Yosuke’s eyes narrowed before he pulled his phone back out, moving away to shield his phone’s screen from Yu as he began to scroll through the gallery again.

They played that game for several minutes, getting each other worked up until Yosuke finally cut it off, saying that their stop would be coming up soon.  Because they were taking the bullet train, their trip wasn’t too terribly long.  Once they arrived, they pulled down their luggage before stepping out, Yosuke pulling out his phone to follow instructions to a nearby bus stop.  Yu found himself even more curious, wondering where they could be possibly going that would require a trip by bus.  He was suddenly reminded of the lavender farm, which had also required a bus due its more remote location.

“Going to tell me where we’re going yet?” Yu asked, and Yosuke frowned.

“You didn’t tell me,” he pointed out, “so, now enjoy a taste of your own medicine.”  Yu chuckled as his reply, not as bothered by it as Yosuke had been, and settled in for the ride.  By this time, Yosuke was beginning to look a bit tired, since this was usually the point in the day he returned home for a nap. 

Yu carefully guided Yosuke’s head to his shoulder, asking “Are there anymore stops I should be worried about?” and Yosuke shook his head. 

“This bus only travels back and forth from our location,” he yawned.

“Then rest,” Yu said, kneading gentle fingers through Yosuke’s hair.

“But,” Yosuke protested, and Yu shook his head.

“You know I don’t need to be entertained on long rides,” he teased, gently encouraging Yosuke to rest.  “You can’t show me around town if you’re trying to fall asleep the whole time.”

Yosuke was encouraged by those words and soon drifted off to sleep, Yu appreciating his comforting warmth on his shoulder.  He truly didn’t mind the ride, staring out the window at the tree lined road, leaves turning color and lighting up the drive with their brilliance, Yosuke’s light breathing his companion.  Trips were always better with his boyfriend by his side after all.  He definitely preferred this to his lonely trips back and forth to Inaba.  Yu pressed a gentle kiss on Yosuke’s hair, smiling when he leaned in closer to Yu in his sleep.

After about a 2 hour drive, they finally appeared to be pulling up to their stop.  A sign next to the bus stop announced they were in Gujo Hachiman, a name Yu vaguely remembered from when Yosuke had traveled here one weekend for a work trip.  He hadn’t said much about it beyond that he was going to cover a big bon-odori dance during the Obon season, but Yu was starting to suspect it may have been because Yosuke wanted to hide this surprise.  If he had excitedly talked about it like he usually did when he encountered a cool place, Yu may have had an idea of where Yosuke was taking him.  He nudged Yosuke awake, before pointing at the sign.  “I remember you mentioning this place,” he commented, and Yosuke grinned widely.

“You’re going to love it,” he said, dragging Yu off the bus and accepting their luggage from the driver.  Yosuke led them to their hotel that they would be staying in – a place thankfully close to the bus stop – barely giving them time to freshen up from their trip before insisting they head out again.  “You’ve got a lot to see,” he said, eyes sparkling in excitement.

The first thing they did was wander the streets of the quaint town, Yu noticing to his amazement that many of the streets had small canals lining them with clear water sparkling in the warm afternoon sun.  It was still a bit chilly, especially in the shade, but the sun definitely helped make it bearable.  They also had plants lining the streetless side of the canals, and it really gave the town a nice, relaxing atmosphere.  One of the streets – Igawa Lane – had a broader canal next to it, and Yosuke quickly pointed out the large koi fish swimming upstream through the water.  Some kids were gathered next to the canal, feeding the koi fish and giggling as they swam over each other trying to get at the food, and Yu couldn’t help but snap a picture, remembering fondly how Yosuke had documented their last trip.

“I can’t believe you managed to avoid mentioning this place for months,” he said, feeling refreshed already.  They had only been walking around for about an hour.

“It was definitely hard.  But so worth it to see your face when we spotted the first canal,” Yosuke grinned.  “This place is known for having the cleanest water in Japan.  I’m actually trying to find this place where you’re able to drink water directly from the spring.”  He had been fiddling with his phone, and Yu reached over and caught his hand, gently squeezing it and shaking his head.

“We’ll find it as we wander,” he encouraged him.  “I’m just enjoying wandering around and taking in the sights with you right now.”

“You sure?” Yosuke asked, and Yu nodded. 

“This is already perfect,” he replied honestly, and Yosuke grinned.

As they wandered around, they ended up getting some grilled sweetfish from a street vendor, Yosuke immediately moaning appreciatively as he took a bite.  Yu was surprised to see Yosuke readily eating fish since he seemed so picky about it.  “I thought you hated fish,” he mused, taking a bite of his own and his eyes growing wide at the flavor.  The fish was definitely aptly named.

Yosuke grinned at the look of delight that had spread across Yu’s face.  “Yeah, normally fish doesn’t taste this good,” he pointed out with a wink, enjoying the pleased expression on Yu’s face as he devoured the rest of his fish.

“Must be because the water’s so clean,” he mused.  By then, they had finally found the public water area, picking out the stream that was specifically labeled as drinking water.  They each took a turn ladling some out directly from the spring, relishing in the crisp, fresh taste of the water and how refreshing it was after their walk.  “What’s next on the agenda?” Yu asked, turning to look at Yosuke.  The brunet's cheeks were slightly red from their brisk walk and the cool air, but it only seemed to enhance the lively sparkle in his boyfriend’s eyes.

“Well we can go eat or we can check out some of the places that make the plastic food samples everyone uses at their restaurants.  That’s the other thing this place is known for.  I’m determined to get a meat platter for Chie,” Yosuke said with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Yu shook his head. “We can probably do that tomorrow and take some time getting everyone souvenirs,” he mused.  “I am a bit hungry though.  Let’s find a place to eat!”

They ended up ducking into the closest local restaurant, immediately discovering a dish on the menu called kei-chan that appeared to be local to the area.  It was a marinated chicken dish stir fried with cabbage and onions and sounded pretty tasty.  They soon realized that they had made the right choice, the delicious garlicky chicken, marinated in soy and miso, tasting great over rice.  Once they were finished eating, Yu noticed that Yosuke seemed a little more nervous than earlier in the day. 

He began fidgeting before going up to pay for the meal and ushering Yu out the door.  Yu wondered at his nervousness, especially when Yosuke began to lead him down one of the many canal lined roads until it opened up at a river below the town.  Along the river at either side was trees and other foliage, and the water was so clear Yu could clearly see the rocks on the bottom and the fish darting about.  It caused a really neat effect with the reflection of the trees above, almost making it look like the fish were swimming amongst the fall leaves.  It was really close to sunset now, so the sky peeking between the trees had taken on a yellow orange glow that matched the autumn leaves quite nicely.  It was honestly a breathtaking view, and Yu was so caught up in it that he didn’t notice Yosuke suddenly get down on one knee next to him.

Yu turned to speak to Yosuke, breath catching in his throat when he noticed his boyfriend was kneeling beside him, holding an open ring box in his hand with a simple, silver band gleaming in the middle.  The setting sun was located behind him, kissing his hair with golden light while his face was slightly shadowed due to being turned away from it.  It made his eyes look darker than usual, sultry almost, but still gleaming with a nervously hopeful look.  He cleared his throat before saying shyly, “You’ve been my partner for a long time, but today I was hoping to make that permanent.”  His hand holding out the ring box was shaking slightly, and Yu found himself kneeling down in front of him, his own legs feeling a bit shaky.

“I was already yours, forever,” Yu replied, gently taking the box from Yosuke’s hand and holding out the ring to him.  Relief filled Yosuke’s eyes as he took it, clearly understanding his intention.  He smiled before sliding the ring on Yu’s finger, pleased when it fit perfectly.

“I know, but sometimes, you want to make it official, right?” Yosuke asked gently, lacing his fingers with Yu’s and appreciating the feeling of the cool metal of Yu’s engagement ring against his own fingers.  “So, what do you say, partner?” Yosuke asked, looking back at Yu.  The sun was beginning to set now, causing that weak light that always occurred around dusk.  Both he and Yosuke looked pale in the lighting, and Yu found himself unable to look away from the ethereal look it gave Yosuke’s face.  Yosuke was similarly staring back at him with a searching gaze.

Yu chuckled, before leaning forward laying his forehead against Yosuke’s.  “I thought it was pretty clear I said yes,” he teased, taking Yosuke’s other hand and also squeezing it.

“I mean, I just have to make sure,” Yosuke replied, and Yu laughed. 

“Did the girls help you pick it out?” he asked, glancing at the way the silver of the ring caught the early evening light.

“I kind of already had it picked out but wanted to make sure they thought it was a good choice,” Yosuke replied.  “I thought something simple yet elegant would be perfect.”  He was blushing lightly, before asking worriedly, “Do you not like it?”

Yu silenced his fear with a warm kiss, letting go of Yosuke’s other hand so he could hold his fiancé’s face as he expertly aligned their lips.  Yosuke leaned into the kiss, shoulders relaxing as he lightly rested his free hand on Yu’s waist.  Once they pulled apart, Yu replied, “I love you.  You know me too well.”  He gently ran his thumb on Yosuke’s cheek before reluctantly pulling his hand away with the ring, looking at it in silent admiration.  It was now pretty dark outside, but he still managed to make it out from his eyes adjusting to the light. 

“Well, maybe it’s time to celebrate in our hotel room,” he said lightly, turning to face Yosuke.  “We do have to make up for that train ride after all.”

Yosuke snorted before slinging his arm around Yu’s shoulders, more as a way to prove they belong together now than his usual friendly antics.  “You do owe me after being such a flirt earlier,” he agreed, and Yu rolled his eyes.

“It was no worse than what you did on the train to Hokkaido,” he accused, and Yosuke gave him a shit eating grin.

“Hopefully this will be half as good as the sex we got on that trip,” he replied casually as they began heading back into town.

“It’ll be even better,” Yu replied thoughtfully.  “Because you’re mine now.”

“That’s what I was supposed to say,” Yosuke said with a dramatic sigh.  “I’m the one who proposed!”

Yu grinned before leaning forward, murmuring, “Partner,” into Yosuke’s ear and relishing in the shiver he felt up his fiancé’s spine.  Yosuke immediately tilted his head, stopping them in their tracks as he hungrily took Yu’s lips, his arm still wrapped around the other man’s shoulder.

“Yu,” he moaned, and now it was Yu’s turn to jolt in reply.  Yosuke was never one to back down from a challenge.  Yosuke pulled away with a smirk, before saying, “Well, I guess we’ll have to wait for the hotel…” and laughing when Yu suddenly tugged impatiently at his hand and began jogging back to where they were staying on the other side of town.  He wanted to let Yosuke know how much he appreciated this surprise and looked forward to their future together as partners.


	22. The Metaverse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 22's theme is The Metaverse. However, I have yet to play P5 so didn't really feel equipped to write something around that theme. So instead I decided to write about another SMT game I really like that uses an app system - Devil Survivor 2. I will warn that this chapter does contain violence and some graphic descriptions you would expect by a traumatic world ending type event.

Yu walked out of the classroom where the mock exam was being held, scrolling through his phone while he waited for a message from Yosuke, his childhood friend, letting him know he was also finished.  The room they were testing in was huge, and since Yosuke had barely made it on time while Yu had been early, they hadn’t sat anywhere near each other.  And Yosuke, of course, was also taking longer to complete it.  Finally, Yu’s phone buzzed letting him know his best friend was finished, and he grinned when his message read, ‘Dude, I totally bombed that…’

Yu messaged back letting him know where he was waiting along with a reassuring, ‘At least it’s just for practice.’  The frowny face Yosuke sent in return let Yu know that it wasn’t very comforting.

When Yosuke finally arrived, Yu noticed the moment Yosuke spotted him, due to the look of surprise that crossed his face at his attire.  Yu, instead of wearing his school uniform, had thrown on a new jacket he had purchased recently which was white with cat ears on the hood.  He currently had it up to show off the cat ears which were gray tipped and had gray stripes on it – he thought it matched well with his hair.  Yosuke seemed to think otherwise.  “What the hell are you wearing?” he asked, and Yu’s face fell slightly.

“You don’t like it?” he asked, and Yosuke let out a sigh.

“It’s very, well, _you_ , but if you noticed everyone else was in their school uniform,” Yosuke pointed out.  Sure enough, Yosuke was wearing their simple gray uniform with the color of their black undershirt showing up over the gray jacket.  The only accessory he had on extra was an orange scarf he had wrapped around his neck to hold off the early autumn chill.  Yosuke often wore headphones but had left them at home for the test.

“It wasn’t required,” Yu replied simply with a shrug, and Yosuke shook his head.

He also noted the slight pout on Yu’s face and kicked the ground before adding, “It’s cute, dude.  Kind of girly but it suits you.”

Yu grinned at that, before asking, “Ready to head home?”  They both lived in the same district so always took the train to and from school; Yu just knew by now not to wait up for Yosuke if he was running late.

“One sec, I had something I wanted to show you,” Yosuke said, pulling out his phone and flipping it open as he walked.  The school was very close to the train station so they didn’t have far to go.  Yosuke scrolled through his phone before pulling up an app.  “Have you heard anyone talk about this?” he asked.

Yu shook his head as he leaned forward and squinted his eyes to see the name.  It read Nicaea and listed it was a beta version of the app.  “Never heard of it,” he replied while leaning back.  They had already reached the entrance to the subway station and were heading downstairs.

“You should download it.  Apparently when you sign up you’ll be able to see how your friends die,” Yosuke said.  “I’ve been meaning to check it out!”

Yu shook his head but dutifully pulled his phone out, flipping the screen around and typing in the name on the app browser.  Moments later it popped up and he began to download it as they waited on the platform for the train.  They were a little early so they had time.  Once the app was downloaded, he and Yosuke began the registration process together.  The first thing they both had to do was pick the gender of their app assistant named Tico.  Yu noticed Yosuke choose the female one out of the corner of his eye…and it inspired him to pick the male Tico instead.  The male Tico very politely asked him to put in his name and went over the rules of the contract before Yu received an email with a video attachment.  “Are you ready?” he asked, watching Yosuke begin to look a bit nervous out of the corner of his eye.  His best friend tried to mask it however and nodded.

“Heck yeah I am!” he said.  “I wonder how gruesome it’ll be.”  They both opened their emails and pulled their screens to their faces to see better, noticing that the quality of the videos was pretty grainy.  However, they could each make the other standing next to each other on a train platform…which was admittedly pretty eerie considering where they were currently.  In fact, as Yu quickly glanced around, it looked like an exact replica. 

An uneasy feeling washed over him as he turned his head back to look at the screen again.  There was a sudden shaking motion as if the camera became unsteady, and Yu watched in horror as a train came barreling in on the screen, crashing onto the train platform and immediately skidding across the floor, knocking into Yosuke who crumpled on the ground and was caught underneath.  Yu watched in horror as a pool of blood began to form under Yosuke’s limp body, and he noticed the carnage surrounding him from other bodies strewn about and from the train and platform being torn up from the crash.  He suddenly felt rather chilly and turned his head to look at Yosuke who was also pale, and Yu could tell that his hand gripping the phone was also trembling.  Yosuke tried to hide it, however, and nervously joked, “Man, the graphics on this thing are pretty shoddy, don’t you think?”

“Yeah they were pretty pixelated,” Yu agreed, staring back at the empty screen.  He was almost tempted to play the video again, when he was interrupted by a suddenly trembling at his feet.  Yu’s brows furrowed, especially when the trembling grew more pronounced.

“Shit, an earthquake,” Yosuke said as the people on the train platform around them began to rush toward the exit.  Before anyone could get very far though, they heard it.  There was a loud sound of screeching wheels, and the thought that immediately hit both of the young men was that trains really couldn’t stop very fast due to their weight and momentum.  To their horror, immediately afterward the train suddenly popped into view, out of control due to the earthquake that was knocking the people on the train platform to their feet.  Everyone could only watch in terror, screaming in fear as the train crashed into the platform, flipping up onto the tracks and crushing the people in its way.  Yu and Yosuke watched as the train came barreling toward them…

And suddenly it was dark.  Yu blinked, looking around and feeling panic when he realized that not only was he no longer on the train platform surrounded by people, but even scarier was the fact Yosuke was also not there with him.  “Yosuke?” he called out, surprised by the fact his voice didn’t seem to carry at all wherever he was due to how thick and muggy the air felt.  Yu had just begun wondering if this is where all souls went where they died and if it was some sort of purgatory when his phone suddenly received a notification.  He pulled it out and slid the screen up, peering at the message in surprise.  It simply read, ‘Do you want to live?’ with a Y/N.  There was a cursor already blinking showing that the Y was selected.

It really was a no brainer for Yu.  Of course he wanted to live, even if for the simple fact he wanted to make sure Yosuke was alright.  Yu immediately hit Y, and suddenly he was back on the train platform, Yosuke by his side as they were both protected from the incoming train by two odd creatures that had appeared out of nowhere, pushing it back and stopping it right before it hit them.  Pretty much everyone else that had been on the platform or were in the train were in bad shape and there were bodies strewn about everywhere.  Some weren’t moving while a few appeared to be groaning and barely hanging on.  The lights in the station were out, bathing the area in darkness, with sparking wires hanging everywhere, briefly lighting the area around them with an eerie glow.  Whole sections of the platform had been torn up by the train derailing.  Several posts had been knocked over as well, making Yu worried about the stability of the ceiling above them. 

Yosuke was pressed closely to his side, eyes trained on the strange creatures that had turned their attention to them now that the train situation was taken care of.  This caused Yu to also pay them more attention, noting that while they had seemed to have saved them from the train, they didn’t appear particularly friendly. There were three now, one looked a lot like a jackal walking around on two legs, one looked like an oddly shaped animal that was like the cross between a cat and a monkey, and the last looked like a little floating clay doll.  Yu suddenly had the urge to grab a metal pole amongst the littered debris surrounding them, and Yosuke similarly looked around before picking up a particularly jagged looking piece of metal that was almost the size of a large knife.  “You ready partner?” Yosuke asked, voice shaking slightly as he watched the three creatures approach.

Yu honestly felt readier with Yosuke by his side than he had earlier and nodded.  Yosuke grinned weakly at his confidence, but it did seem to give him a little more courage because he finally stopped shaking.  Yu nudged him slightly in encouragement, and they both tightened their grip on their makeshift weapons as the creatures rushed at them.  They soon realized that while the jackal looking creature and animal looking creature looked scarier, they mainly used physical attacks and were easier to deal with than the floating one that kept sending ice moves at them.  Yu decided that it definitely needed to be dealt with first, and since Yosuke was faster than he was he had Yosuke deal with the other two creatures, while he focused on bashing the ice shooting one.  Yosuke nimbly dodged and circled around those two, managing to avoid getting hit although it was a close call several times, while Yu tried to stamp down his worry over his best friend and focus on his task at hand.

Now that he was able to focus singlehandedly on the floating creature, he realized that face to face it was pretty weak.  It did attempt to dodge his swings at it, but he realized that every hit seemed to rattle it pretty badly, and after a few hits his phone lit up with a new app that had appeared called a demon summoning app.  When that happened the creature disappeared with a flash of blue light before appearing on his screen in something called a compendium.  There was also an option next to its name of Poltergeist offering to allow him to summon it.  He immediately tapped on that option and moments later the demon reappeared, only this time it was on their side and began shooting ice attacks at the other two remaining demons.

Yu quickly returned to Yosuke’s side, noting that his friend had gotten beaten up a little based on some bruising that was already forming on his arm, but instead of feeling nervous or worried, he found himself growing angry instead.  He gripped the metal piece in his hand even more strongly before stepping forward, swinging at the animal creature and hitting it with a sharp crack.  Yosuke caught on and followed up with a quick swipe of his piece of metal, activating his demon summoning app and causing the small creature to disappear into his phone with a flash of blue light.  “What just happened?” Yosuke asked as Yu blocked an attack from the enraged jackal.

“Look at your phone,” Yu said, carefully leading the kobold away from Yosuke to give him some time. 

“What’s an Obariyon?” he heard Yosuke mutter to himself, and he appeared to also have selected summon because moments later it reappeared in front of him, standing protectively between him and the jackal.  This made their final part of the fight rather easy with four against one.  The last demon soon disappeared into another blue light onto Yu’s phone, along with the Poltergeist while the Obariyon returned to Yosuke’s.  Yu looked at his compendium and noted that the jackal’s name was Kobold.

Both boys were relieved and took a breather, sitting on one pile of rubble while trying to catch their breaths.  Before their fight it had still been a bit noisy in there, with moans from people struggling to survive, but now they began to realize other than their breathing and the sounds of the cables sparking, it was dead silent in there.  Yosuke tugged at the arm of Yu’s jacket, staring out at the scene of destruction in front of them, able to pick up more details now that their eyes had adjusted to the dark.  No one really looked like they were moving anymore.  “Maybe we should go,” Yu said, and Yosuke quietly nodded.

Both boys headed to the exit, having to carefully make their way up due to the stairs being partially caved in from the earthquake earlier.  They came up to see their city in chaos.  People were rushing about with police and emergency personnel doing their best to try to direct everyone, ushering people toward shelters and taking stock of the damage and injured.  Several of the skyscrapers and building surrounding them, buildings built to code for earthquakes, showed obvious damage.  There was some distant screaming that Yu and Yosuke quickly moved away from, their encounter with the demons fresh on their minds.  It was very hard to take in the abrupt change in scenery – not even 10 minutes ago they had been walking in this very spot and it had been a quiet, normal day.  They were both finding it difficult to mesh that earlier experience with their current one, and it took one of the police officers approaching them for them to snap out of it.

“Where were you boys when the earthquake hit?” he asked, and Yosuke pointed down toward the subway exit they had come out of.

“A train derailed.  And…” Yosuke felt himself begin to shake again.  Yu who was also shaken put a comforting arm around his best friend.

“I don’t know if anyone else made it,” Yu added grimly.

“We’ll send a team down to check.  You boys should probably get checked by that paramedic group over there.  Looks like you may have been banged up a bit.  Probably going through shock too.  After that, get to a shelter,” he said, before walking over to a few other officers to share what he had been told.  Both boys heard him mutter, “I’ve never seen anything like this before,” as he walked off.

“What do you want to do?” Yu asked Yosuke.

“Honestly?  I want to check on our parents,” Yosuke said, leaning into Yu's comforting hold.  Yu somehow found it reassuring, Yosuke's solid presence calming his nerves as much as he was calming the brunet.

Yu bit his lip.  That was going to be a pretty long walk through unknown territory.  They wouldn’t know what way to take even before this disaster since they had never attempted it by foot before.  And although the Nicaea app was working, he had noticed that his phone wasn't getting any signal which meant the earthquake had knocked out cell towers as well.  That meant no calling their parents or using gps.  They did, however, have that handy demon summoning app, so at least they wouldn’t be without options.  He turned back to look at Yosuke, also thinking about how worried he was about both of their parents.  “Alright,” he agreed.  “Let’s go.”

So instead of going to see the paramedics and being ushered to one of the shelters, the boys did their best to determine the right direction to the ward the lived in and began making their way through the wrecked city and panicked people.  As long as they had each other, they would figure out a way through this.


	23. Camping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 23 of Souyowrimo is camping. The IT all goes on a camping trip during Golden Week~

Yosuke couldn’t remember whose bright idea it had been to go camping…and desperately hoped it wasn’t him for a change.  Because so far the trip had been pretty awful.  Yu and Yosuke had come back to Inaba to visit during Golden Week their freshman year of college, and to their delight they found out that everyone, including Rise and Naoto with their busy schedules, would also be in town.  It was decided that they should have an IT reunion, of course, and after throwing ideas around they had finally settled on a camping trip, figuring it would give them time to themselves without being bothered by other people in town so they could catch up.

Everyone had pooled their money together, allowing Yosuke to buy two tents for them using his employee discount at Junes (he still worked at one in the city), and soon everyone had been excited buying up the things they’d need and planning activities and what to cook.  Yosuke insisted on a rule from the very beginning that none of the girls could cook, and while Chie and Yukiko had put up a bit of a fight over it they finally caved.  Everyone was bringing lots of snacks just in case, but Yu had pretty much been voted in to cook with Yosuke serving as his kitchen helper, something neither young man seemed to mind.  It was pretty much the routine they were used to in their apartment after all.

Problems started to occur pretty early on as they all prepared to pile into a small van they were renting for the trip.  They needed something big enough to fit all of them and their luggage…and they were soon realizing with the amount of stuff certain members of the group were bringing, they somehow didn’t have enough space.  “Rise…do you really need four suitcases?” Chie asked doubtfully as everyone looked over at all of the bags and other stuff scattered outside of the trunk of the van.  Yu was staring at the trunk like it was a puzzle that needed solving while Naoto was tapping her finger to her chin while she stared out at the baggage.

“Of course!  One of them is for my clothes but the other three is full of gadgets that I thought we’d need for the trip!” she replied.

“What kind of gadgets?” Kanji asked suspiciously, and Rise rolled one to its side and unzipped it to show everyone.  Inside was essentially a blow up couch and an electric pump.  There were other similarly frivolous items inside, and Yosuke placed a hand on his head.

“Rise, we’re leaving your other three bags here,” he said, and she pouted at him.

“How are we supposed to be comfortable without this cool stuff?” she asked.  “All the magazines I was reading said they were must haves!”

“We’ve got tents and each of us has a camping chair,” Yosuke pointed out, dryly.

“We also need to make room for necessities,” Naoto added helpfully.  “Such as the gas stove and cookware.  Kanji-kun brought a first aid kit as well it seems,” she added.  “We should probably go through and figure out which bags contain necessary items and which should be left behind.”

“A sound plan as always, Naoto-san,” Yu said with a smile.  They soon determined that along with Rise’s three suitcases, Teddie had a bag filled with games and comics that was deemed unnecessary as well, Yosuke shoving a few of the comics into his own bag when the blond began to get teary eyed over it.  Yosuke and Yu had backed light with one bag each, while Chie also had only a duffle bag with her.  Yukiko had her own bag and had brought a bento for everyone to eat on the ride from her family’s inn; they had a bit of a drive to get the campground.

Naoto had one bag along with her briefcase since she needed to read through some files on the trip, while Kanji had his bag along with an extra bag full of things they’d probably need such as the first aid kit, trash bags, and extra blankets.  Everyone had brought along a sleeping bag and towels for the showers provided on the site.  Soon, between Kanji’s packing ability, Naoto’s analytical ability, and Yu’s leadership, they had the extra luggage returned to people’s homes, and they had managed to carefully pack everything into the car before piling in.  They were running late now, but it wasn’t like they had to be there at a specific time anyway, so they headed off confident that they would soon be back on track.

Unfortunately, with six people being squeezed in one vehicle, that wasn’t the case.  Yosuke was driving with Yu in the passenger seat providing navigation, while Chie, Yukiko, and Rise were in the middle seats behind them with Kanji, Naoto, and Teddie squeezing in on the last row.  It was an extremely tight fight for Kanji who looked pretty uncomfortable but was silently bearing it.  Teddie, meanwhile, couldn’t seem to sit still and kept trying to badger the girls in front of him, causing lots of bickering, until Yosuke yelled at them that he needed to concentrate on driving.  Both Yu and Teddie snickered over that, Yu pointing out that Yosuke sounded like his dad there, much to the brunet’s horror.

Things settled down for a little while, until Yosuke’s sudden realization he had to use the restroom, which led to thankfully other people deciding the same and everyone stopping at a convenience store in order to take a break.  Kanji gratefully stretched his legs while Teddie and Chie raided the shelves for snacks.  They had already eaten the bentos Yukiko had provided and were still hungry.  Yosuke, meanwhile, made a beeline straight for the bathroom.  They ended up there for about 20 minutes, with people taking turns to use the restroom and browsing for snacks, and eventually piled back into the van again when ready to go.

By this point in the trip it quieted down, with both Teddie and Rise quickly falling asleep.  For Teddie, it was mainly out of boredom, and he was soon curled up with his head resting against the window.  Next to him, Naoto was reading through a case file while Kanji worked on some crocheting he had brought along.  Rise, who was used to sleeping in vans as she traveled around, fell asleep more by habit than anything else, while Yukiko and Chie quietly chatted with one another.  Yu, meanwhile, kept Yosuke company and quietly gave him updates on their directions as they travelled.

This ended up being the most peaceful part of their trip so far…because once they finally arrived and paid for their park pass and for the use of their campsite, things swiftly went to hell again.  Yosuke drove them to where their campsite was located, a flattened patch of ground that was perfectly designed to accommodate both tents.  As they began pulling their stuff out, Yukiko asked, “Where are the showers?” while looking around curiously.

Yu looked at the map the entrance guard had provided them and said, “It looks like it’s about a mile up the road,” causing the girls to gasp in indignation.

“There better be a place to park because I’m sure not walking that far with wet hair,” Chie grumbled.  The girls had quickly resigned themselves to the fact they probably wouldn’t be able to use all of their hair care materials including blow dryers.

“Does anyone see the tent stakes?” Kanji asked.  He had started pulling out the tents to get them ready to put up.  He remembered from the school trip that only he, Chie, and Yukiko seemed to have any clue what to do with them since Yu and Yosuke were both city boys and had never gone camping before.

“They should be in the bag the poles and stuff were in,” Yosuke replied.  “I didn’t touch any of that after buying it.”

“Well, I don’t see ‘em, sempai,” Kanji said, causing Yosuke to panic.  He came over and started rifling through the empty tent bags, obviously ready to blame himself for the massive screw up while at a loss at what they could do without the stakes to hold down the tents.

To everyone’s relief, Yu began rummaging through the back, spotting them under the seats.  “Found them,” he called, pulling them out and handing them to Kanji.  “They must have slipped out from the bags.”

While Kanji, Yukiko, and Chie got to work setting up the tents, Naoto and Rise began to sort through the bags separating the folding table that they would be using for the propane stove, cookware, and groceries, from the stuff that would be going in the girl’s tent and the boy’s tent.  Yu, Yosuke, and Teddie, meanwhile, went to gather firewood and used their map to get a lay of the land.

They returned to find out that gathering the wood was useless, because they had forgotten to bring any sort of a lighter.  By this point, both tents were up and the others were slowly moving items inside.  Kanji was also getting the stove set up so Yu would be able to cook later, deciding on curry for the first night since it was a staple for their group.  Sleeping bags were being unrolled in each tent with people claiming their space, Yosuke bickering with Teddie who insisted he wanted to sleep in the middle between him and Yu while Yosuke reminded him that Yu was his boyfriend now and it wasn’t going to happen.  Teddie finally confessed he was scared about sleeping at the edge, and Yosuke had warily consented to Teddie sleeping on his other side between him and Kanji instead.

Once all of that was settled, they tried to figure out what they wanted to do first.  There was hiking, but it was getting close to dinner and while everyone didn’t mind stretching their legs, several didn’t want to wear themselves out so late in the day.  There was a spot closer to the middle of the campgrounds that was like a community building that held activities and had games people could come in and play, perfect for a rainy day, but not everyone wanted to travel that far from camp.  After a lot of arguing back and forth, Rise was the one to decide.

“Let’s just stay here.  Yu-sempai can get started on cooking and the rest of us can just mill about here.  I know I’ve got a magazine to read, and I’m sure everyone else packed something to do as well.”

Thus, they decided to do hiking and other strenuous activities tomorrow, and they soon separated throughout the camp.  Kanji, Teddie, Chie, and Yukiko settled in one tent for a game of cards, while Rise and Naoto lounged in the other, Rise with her magazine and Naoto with her case files.  Yu and Yosuke headed to the stove, Yosuke helping Yu get set up with his cutting board and a knife, along with ingredients from the cooler he’d need for the curry.  He was also getting some lanterns set up since it was beginning to get dark outside, and unfortunately in the process he ended up burning his hand when he picked one up them up toward the bottom without realizing that it was burning hot down there; it was a gas powered lantern and should only be handled by the handle.  Yosuke yelped and almost dropped the lantern completely, barely managing to set it down properly before blowing on his finger, already noticing it blister as he hissed in pain.  Yu immediately set down the onion he had been about to slice up before worriedly turning to Yosuke, gently taking his finger and inspecting it carefully.

“Kanji, can you bring me the first aid kit?” he called, and as Kanji began shuffling around in the tent Yu leaned forward to gently kiss the tip of Yosuke’s finger, carefully avoiding the blistered area.

“God, I’m such an idiot,” Yosuke said through grit teeth, eyes watering slightly at the pain.

Yu shook his head.  “It’s not like you’ve handled one before.  How were you to know?” he gently reminded him.

Moments later, Kanji was at his side, carefully placing some burn cream on it before wrapping it with some gauze.  “Unfortunately, sempai, you probably won’t be able to help much with the cooking,” Kanji said apologetically, and Yosuke looked dejected. 

“Yeah, you’re probably right.  Can you step in for me then?  Other than Naoto you’re the one I trust the most,” he admitted, and Kanji nodded.  He began following Yu’s instructions attentively as Yosuke began to head to the tents. 

Chie popped her head out, noticing Yosuke’s expression.  “Hey, you want to join our card game?” she asked, and Yosuke shook his head.  Chie gave him a sad, knowing look, but left him alone before returning to the game.  It was still playable with three people.

Yosuke instead joined the tent with Rise and Naoto, crawling onto the sleeping bag furthest from them and pulling one of the blankets Kanji had brought along over himself so he could sulk in peace.  He had been looking forward to helping Yu cook, especially since he had gotten a lot better at it lately, and had wanted to show his friends that he wasn’t all that useless.  But, apparently that wasn’t meant to be.  Instead, this trip was awful.

After sulking for several moments, he was surprised by a gentle hand at his back, and turned to see Naoto hovering over him with Rise right behind her.  Naoto removed her hand and recommended, “Why don’t we join the others in their tent?  Rise suggested a game she brought along and said we should all have fun playing it together.”

“You guys can play without me,” Yosuke said, and Rise huffed.

“No, Yosuke-sempai.  You’ll have fun, I promise,” she said, pulling out the card deck and handing it to him.

Yosuke’s brows raised at the name.  “What the heck is Super Fight?” he asked, and Rise grinned.

“Just wait and see,” she said, before dragging him out and into the other tent.  She interrupted the other card game, insisting everyone play hers instead, before quickly going over the rules. 

“This deck of cards are villains and this deck are heroes,” she explained.  “The deck here are hero traits.  You’ll draw a hand of three heroes and three traits each round, with each of us taking a turn to draw the villain and a trait for the villain.  You must then pick a hero and a trait that you think would be the best fit to defeat the villain,” she explained.  “The person picking the villain that round doesn’t get to play because they’ll be the one choosing which hero combination they like the most,” she added.  “Also, they get to pick if the person to the left or right of you adds another trait card to your hero as well.  Which adds another layer of strategy to the game.”  Her eyes sparkled in excitement, and while Yosuke and Yukiko seemed to follow along, Chie and Teddie looked a little lost.  Teddie was enthused all the same however.

“I will pick the beary best hero!” he said excitedly, reaching for one of the deck of cards before Rise slapped his hand away.

“We need to shuffle first,” she said.  “And as we play I’ll walk you through it.  Yukiko-sempai, can you deal the cards for us?”

Yukiko was used to it, for sometimes in the evenings she and the other workers at the inn would play games with patrons.  She actually had a great poker face as well and was often pretty much a beast at card games.  She had been winning until they were interrupted.  Yukiko went in and quickly shuffled each deck before doling everyone out three hero cards and three trait cards.  They then decided that Teddie, as the youngest, should go first and that they’d go from there.  Thus, Teddie pulled the first villain card and Rise walked them through the first round.

By the time dinner was finally ready, everyone was started to feel more relaxed and were finally beginning to enjoy the trip.  The Super Fight game was actually a lot of fun and the combinations were pretty funny.  They especially had fun trying to talk up their hero to the one picking that round and convincing them that their hero was the right one for the job.  Everyone was definitely ready for food though, and the game was quickly abandoned as camp chairs were pulled out and blankets piled on since they didn’t have a fire while they ate.  “This tastes delicious, partner,” Yosuke complimented Yu, still a little dejected that he couldn’t take part, but he was trying his best to be cheerful about it.  “You did a great job helping too, Kanji.”

“Aw, thanks, sempai,” Kanji said, lightly punching Yosuke’s shoulder in reply.  Yosuke couldn’t help but remember what had happened at the last camping trip, and suddenly felt better that this time he and Kanji were on much different terms.  Maybe there were other good things about this trip.

Once they were finished eating, they taught Yu and Kanji how to play Super Fight, Yu catching on quickly while Kanji needed a little more help at first.  They played for about another hour, before piling into the van to make their way to the bathrooms to brush their teeth and freshen up before bed.  Once they returned, exhausted from their travels, everyone quickly climbed into their designated sleeping bag, the extra blanket from Kanji pulled over top for warmth.  As their other friends drifted off, Yu and Yosuke huddled together, Yu pulling out Yosuke’s injured hand and inspecting it again.  He pressed another kiss to the base of the injured finger, having just rewrapped the gauze as they were getting ready for bed, and Yosuke blushed.  “You know, earlier I was thinking this trip was pretty much a disaster,” he whispered.  “But now I don’t think so anymore.”

“We have a good group,” Yu smiled at him.  “Once we decide to pull together, nothing can stop us from having a good time,” he added confidently.

Yosuke snickered.  “I guess you’re right,” he said softly.

Yu leaned forward and brushed his lips against Yosuke’s as a warm good night, before pulling away and saying softly, “If you’re worried about having a good time, I can sneak you away tomorrow at some point and ensure it for you.”  His eyes had a mischievous gleam to them, along with a touch of heat.  Yosuke quickly pinched Yu with his good hand, glancing back worriedly at Kanji and Teddie, the latter who was curled up close to Yosuke’s back with one hand clutching his sleeping bag.

“I told you not to say that sort of thing in front of Ted,” he hissed.

“Teddie is asleep,” Yu replied smoothly.

“With those bear ears of his, I trust nothing.  You know how he gets,” Yosuke insisted, and Yu grinned.

“Fine, fine,” he replied, leaning in for one more kiss before reaching out with one hand and clasping Yosuke’s uninjured one.  He laced their fingers together before murmuring, “Good night,” and sliding his eyes shut.

“Night,” Yosuke said with a yawn, squeezing Yu’s hand and also falling asleep.  They had a long day ahead of them.


	24. Junes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The theme for day 24 is Junes. I decided to write about Yosuke reflecting after his last day working at Junes~

Yosuke checked the time, blinking his eyes in surprise when he realized something.  It was 3pm and time for his last shift to be over.  He’d made it.  Yosuke went to the manager on duty since it was his dad’s day off and checked to make sure she didn’t need anything else from him, surprised when she looked at the time and said, “Oh, I didn’t realize it was so late,” before suddenly giving him a quick bow while reaching out to shake his hand.  Yosuke flushed, almost bowing in reply by habit, until he saw her shake her head as she straightened back up.  “We’re going to really miss having you here, Yosuke-kun,” she said sincerely.  “You were always useful to have on each shift you worked because you made sure things ran smoothly.  Thank you for your hard work and good luck at university.  We’ll be rooting for you!”  She then motioned for him to head off and clock out, saying he had no other tasks for today and to enjoy his outing with his father.

Yosuke was surprised by her kind words, and even more surprised as he headed back to the breakroom he was stopped by other employees who gave him similar words of encouragement.  Especially the ones who used to talk about him behind his back but over the past two years of watching him work so hard had slowly come around.  Their encouraging words somehow meant even more, especially since he knew they were sincere.  By the time Yosuke finally got to the breakroom, glad he was the only one in there so he could get a moment of peace to try to pull himself together, he found himself sliding off his apron for the last time before staring at it silently, especially at the nametag pinned to the front with his name proudly displayed.  He had worked at Junes for so long, he couldn’t even fathom what it would be like to not be here anymore.  It had helped shaped him, especially during his transition to Inaba, and for awhile it had kind of been his only motivation before meeting Yu and the Investigation Team forming during those crazy events their second year.  Yosuke’s fingers scrunched the top of the apron as he heaved a deep sigh and pulled the material to his face, struggling to not get emotional after all the kind words he had just heard on the floor. 

He had never expected he would be sad to leave this place, especially not with all he had struggled through early on.  He would miss some of the regular customers, especially the middle aged ladies who always cheerfully relied on his expertise when they were hunting for their weekly deals and would slip him small tips and candy no matter how many times he protested.  Once he started getting along better with some of the other employees, especially this past year as they started to seem to respect him better, work had become easier as well with everyone working as a unit.  Yosuke couldn’t tell if it was due to the influence of the fog being gone or just the fact he had matured himself, but it was definitely a welcome change.  Then it was the fact there was just so many memories tied to the place.  Every time Yosuke worked in the food court or wandered past that massive television still sitting in the electronics department, he would fondly remember times with the IT and all the adventures he and his friends went on together.  He hadn’t really thought of these things in the week leading up to his last day, too excited about finally being done with customer service and soon moving on to college, but he now found himself oddly nostalgic.  Yosuke finally pulled himself together, smoothing out his apron and hanging it up for the last time before swinging his locker shut, leaving it unlocked now that all of his personal items had been cleared out.  He placed one hand on the door, looking at it thoughtfully for a moment before heading home.

He and his dad had a special outing planned that night, his dad insisting on taking him out to Okina for lunch while his mom and Teddie stayed at home, more than likely getting delivery from Aiya’s.  Teddie had initially pouted at not getting invited along, but he soon seemed to catch on that it was a father and son bonding moment and seemed excited for Yosuke over it.  Yosuke didn’t know what to expect.  He and his dad were close, but they often didn’t discuss anything too heartfelt, usually sticking to mutual interests like music.  His dad, once Yosuke had expressed an interest in going to university in the city to be with Yu again, had encouraged him and asked if Yosuke had wanted him to secure him a transfer to a branch in Tokyo, while also stating that if Yosuke wanted to focus on his studies instead his parents would gladly send him an allowance.

Yosuke had been surprised at the option, and honestly his first instinct had been to take the job.  He was used to taking care of himself and using his own money to get things that he wanted, but he also wanted to do a good job at university and was worried about juggling a full course load and work when he wasn’t sure how difficult his classes would be.  When Yosuke’s dad had seen his son struggle, he had gently encouraged him to take the second route, and Yosuke had caved, appreciating his parent’s support.  He still wasn’t fully sure if it was the right choice, but both of his parents seemed excited for him and his dad admitted he had been setting money aside since Yosuke was a kid just for this reason.  He wanted his son to succeed, especially if he had goals he wanted to accomplish.

Once Yosuke got home, his mom and Teddie excitedly asking him about how his last day went, he told them about everyone’s kind words as he left, noticing the pleased looks cross over both of their faces at his words.  “Everyone’s going to miss you beary much,” Teddie agreed.  “I heard lots of people saying it won’t be the same without you!”

“I knew they’d all recognize your hard work,” his mother said, pulling him in for a hug and placing a kiss on his forehead.  “Now go get ready to head out.  Your father has been pacing about all afternoon and anxious for you to get home,” she smiled.

His dad was currently sitting in the living room, but he was jostling his knee nervously which was a habit Yosuke had picked up from him.  Yosuke nodded before heading upstairs, changing into a white and orange striped button up and some slacks, knowing that his dad would be taking them out to a nicer restaurant.  When he headed back down, he shot his dad a nervous grin before asking, “Ready?”  He almost laughed when his dad leapt up from the couch and made a beeline to the door, car keys already in hand.  It was odd going to Okina by car instead of by train, but Yosuke liked the cozy atmosphere it gave him and his dad.  They could talk without anyone listening in on their conversation.

“I’m glad your last day went well,” his dad said as they climbed into the car together.  Yosuke looked over at his dad, studying his face that had become more worn after over two years of exhausting work running a newly opened store.  His dad had definitely gotten more used to it in the past year and seemed to get a handle on running things, but at first it had been tough, even without the pushback from some of the people in town.  It caused Yosuke’s heart to ache a little, though, seeing how much the stress had aged his dad.

“Yeah,” Yosuke replied softly.  “Everyone was really nice.  I think Erika-san was especially said to see me go.”  That was the manager on duty.

“Yeah, she always wanted you on her shift,” his father chuckled.  “Sometimes I had to lend you to someone else but she insisted you kept things running smoothly and was pretty upset when you weren’t on her roster.”

“I didn’t know that,” Yosuke said in surprise, and his father grinned to himself.

“You were actually popular with management the whole time,” he said.  “I know it was rough on you with the other associates though for quite awhile.  I wish I could have stepped in to do more, especially as a father, but I also had to be careful not to show favoritism.”  He sighed as he backed them out of the driveway and started making the trek to Okina.  “I just wanted you to know how proud I am of you.  For sticking it out even when it was so rough.  You’ve really grown up this past year, Yosuke, and I think you’re stronger because of all the things you managed to get through.”

Yosuke stared out the window, hand gripping his chin a bit tightly as he struggled not to show his father the impact his words had on him.  His dad rarely told him how proud he was of him, although he often showed it in his actions, so hearing it so directly was taking its toll on the control he had placed on himself earlier.  “Thanks, dad,” he said softly, and his father reached over to squeeze Yosuke’s shoulder.

“You really were my best employee, and I’m not just saying that as your dad.  I’m going to really miss having you around,” his father said, voice breaking up slightly, and Yosuke turned to face his dad, shocked by the tears misting in his eyes.

“Dad,” he said, his voice cracking as well, before gripping his arm lightly, wishing suddenly they weren’t driving so he could give his dad a hug.  They both began tearing up after that, a few warm drops sliding down their cheeks before they both mutually used their sleeves to wipe away at their tears.  Yosuke had to laugh at that, while his dad flicked at his forehead and began laughing too.  For the rest of the trip they switched to discussing the future, Yosuke going over his excitement for his upcoming move while his dad listened fondly.  They ended up having a very nice dinner, Yosuke feeling touched that his dad set up such a nice meal to celebrate his last day, and on his way back home he began to feel exhausted after his emotionally taxing day.  Yosuke yawned as he headed inside, waving at his mom and Teddie and directing them to talk to his dad about how their dinner went, before making his way upstairs to his room and collapsing on his bed.

He had thought it would be the last emotional moment for the day, but he had totally forgotten to take into account one last thing.  Narukami Yu.  Yosuke’s phone suddenly went off, the brunet wincing at the sound before pulling his phone out from his pocket, glancing at the screen before sitting up.  He swiped to answer before pulling his phone to his ear, yawning, “Partner?” with a confused lilt to his voice.  While they often texted back and forth, they usually scheduled times to call so this was a surprise.

“Hey, how did your last day go?” Yu asked, Yosuke feeling his chest tighten yet again at his best friend’s words.  He clenched his teeth, not wanting to cry yet again, and took a deep breath.

“It was really good,” he said.  “Everyone wished me luck and seemed sad to see me go.”

“Of course they did,” Yu replied.  “They’re going to miss having you there.  I guarantee it.  I should know better than anyone.”

Yosuke’s stomach tightened at those words, and he held back a gasp.  “You’ll have me soon,” he replied, and he could practically hear the smile he knew was on Yu’s face.

“I know.  And I feel no guilt at taking you away from Junes,” he chuckled.  Yosuke laughed at that as well, feeling a little easier at his words.  “How was your dinner with your father?” Yu asked curiously, and Yosuke paused.

“It was…really good,” he said.  “Dad told me how proud he was of me.  He even said I was his best employee, if you can believe it,” Yosuke chuckled.

“I believe it,” Yu replied sincerely.  “You know your dad’s not one to exaggerate, Yosuke.  You always worked so hard.”

Yosuke blushed at his words, before admitting, “Yeah, he even said he wasn’t saying that as my father.  It meant a lot to me, you know?”

Yu hummed a confirmation in response, before saying, “I know you’re probably exhausted so I don’t want to keep you much longer.  I just wanted to check in on you for your last day.  I’m counting down the days until you’re here and with me again, partner.”

Yosuke’s heart fluttered a little at Yu’s casual use of their nickname for each other, and he felt some of the emotional toll from the day finally fade away.  “Yeah, me too.  I’ll be seeing you soon, Yu,” he said, slight smirk on his face as Yu quieted at that, a slight intake of breath letting Yosuke know he had been successful. 

“Good night, Yosuke,” was all he could manage after that, and Yosuke grinned inwardly before responding in kind.  Yosuke glanced at his calendar, where the date he would be moving to Tokyo was circled, little marks crossing out each day leading up to it.  While he was a little uncertain about his future, and would truly miss some things about Junes, he was definitely ready for the changes ahead.  Especially seeing his partner again.  Yosuke smiled, setting his phone on his bedside table before getting up to change and get ready for bed.  He had a lot to prepare for over the next few days as he got ready for the move and would need all the energy he could get.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ironically I came up with this idea before I recently changed jobs myself, so it became a very fitting topic since I too just left a job I had been working at for around two years. It was very interesting getting into Yosuke's mindset and imagining what it would be like for him to finally leave Junes which had been such a big part of his life in Inaba.


	25. Formal Occasion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 25 of Souyowrimo's theme is formal occasion. For this theme, I wrote a Pride and Prejudice based AU where Yosuke meets Yu at a ball for the first time.

The Junes estate was all a bustle as the servants and family rushed about, trying to get the family prepared for the ball being hosted by their family friend, the Shiroganes.  The Shiroganes only had a single daughter named Naoto, something that would have surely caused concern for any other family but theirs.  Instead of bemoaning the lack of a male heir, they essentially raised Naoto like she was one, causing gossip in their small country community.  It didn’t bother Yosuke, however, the middle child of the Hanamura family who was also best friends with Naoto.  He was pretty proud of his friend for standing up for herself and doing all that she could to support her family.  In a way he almost felt it was better than his own prospects.

Although Yosuke was the male heir, having an older sister and a younger brother, his family, while comfortable, was also not incredibly well off as some others in the area were.  All he had to look forward to was finding a decent marriage partner and then supporting his siblings and parents for the rest of their lives, unless they were fortunate enough to somehow find a match for Chie, his older sister with a pitiful dowry, or Teddie, his younger brother who was a bit of an airhead, and Yosuke was doubtful could handle the military or religious career often expected of a younger son.  Honestly, the thought of supporting his family didn’t really bother him so much as he wished there was something more he could do for them beyond trying to find a good match marriage wise.  Finding potential partners was the real reason for these balls, and while Yosuke enjoyed the dancing and the company, he hated the coy looks and the fact most everyone had an agenda. 

He had told his family so on more than one occasion, being berated by his mother who reminded him that “A good match would save their family,” while his father leant him a patient, amused ear, having felt similarly in his youth.  Chie, who was a bit of a tomboy, had no patience for it and reminded him constantly that he could at least do something for the family, unlike her who was clearly a burden with her low dowry.  He knew that while she tried to hide it, she felt like she would end up as a drain on his household, the old maid sister that stayed at his house and helped raise his kids.  Although Yosuke and Chie often bickered with one another, they were fiercely close as siblings and he always tried his best to remind her that it wasn’t true.  Even if she ended up an old maid, he’d be happy to have her around.

Teddie, on the other hand, was a whole other story.  His mother doted on him and spoiled him, and in Yosuke’s opinion he had been let out in society far too early.  Teddie was a very pretty young man with golden hair and bright blue eyes – he was pretty popular with the younger ladies in society who were often clambering for a dance with the lovely boy.  However, he was pretty thoughtless and only seemed to care about wearing fine clothes, often forcing his mother to make changes to dress jackets after only being worn once, not wanting to show up in the same thing twice at an event.  He was always trying to find out the latest trends from the city and adjusting his clothes to the best of his ability to match, and while it annoyed his older siblings his mother seemed more than content to feed his habit.  They had tried going to their father to stop it, pointing out that Teddie grew more and more foolish every day, but he merely chuckled, stating that, “He did not want to ruin their mother’s fun,” and leaving it at that.  Mr. Hanamura was a pretty laid back man, often disappearing into his study to review their account books and read while content to let the rest of his family do as they wished.  It gave him less stress that way.

Mrs. Hanamura, on the other hand, was often in all of her children’s business, doing her best to arrange meetings with potential marriage partners and encouraging them to approach people of interest at each event.  There was nothing she loved more than a good ball, for it was a chance to ensure her family’s stability while also gossiping with the other ladies in town.  She was even more excited than usual for this one, going on about that Amagi girl who had recently come to town and, like Naoto, was actually the sole heir of her family property in spite of her status as a woman.  “She is set to inherit 5000 a year, can you imagine it?” Mrs. Hanamura said, fanning herself in excitement as her personal maid helped her with her hair.  “I wonder if she would be interested in Chie,” she pondered thoughtfully.  “With 5000 a year, surely her dowry would not really matter!”

Yosuke rolled his eyes, being able to hear his mother from his room, where he was carefully adjusting his cufflinks while looking in the mirror.  The one thing Yosuke insisted on choosing pieces with a little variation in color.  He found male ball fashion particularly boring with their variations of black, gray, and dark brown – an occasional gray blue in the mix – and always picked out materials for his suits that were a little flashier, but still reigned in enough not to give his mother an anxiety attack.  His current suit was a dark burgundy color, and in the dim lighting of the ball people wouldn’t really be able to tell the reddish hue until they were close by him.  He had a black waistcoat on underneath with a red design stitched along the sides where it buttoned up, and a white undershirt and carefully tied ascot.  His hair was carefully styled to fall down his face in long sections with his ends flipping up as they often did.  It drove his mother crazy, who often wished he would pull his hair back as other men often did, but Yosuke was actually fond of the style and argued its what his hair did naturally so why bother with it?  Yosuke grinned at his reflection before sticking his tongue out, glancing at the pocket watch his father had given him and wondering if Chie was ready yet.  He knew that Teddie and his mother would take the longest.

“Well do you not look nice?” a voice called in amusement from the doorway.  Chie stepped in, dressed in a lovely forest green dress that Yosuke knew was her favorite color, her hair already pinned up above her shoulders.  Yosuke knew that she hated getting her hair pinned for balls, and often wore it down and loose at her shoulders at home when they weren’t expecting company.

“You look quite lovely yourself,” he smiled, before letting out a sigh.  “Tell me, how ridiculous does our younger brother look?”

Chie laughed.  “His suit is white.  Can you imagine?  A man wearing a white suit!”

Yosuke shook his head, knowing what a fuss people would make at the ball.  He felt a little annoyed that his younger brother would be drawing so much attention to himself at a ball being held by their family friends, but held his tongue.  He knew Chie already understood.  “Are you ready to meet Miss. 5000 a Year Amagi?” he teased, and Chie truly laughed at that, punching him lightly in the shoulder.

“Stop it, mother will hear you,” she said.  “You know such talk will hurt her feelings.”

“Since when have you cared about that?” Yosuke quipped, but he did settle down.  In spite of his mother’s frustrating ways, all of the Hanamura children adored her because they knew her heart was in the right place.  She was fiercely protective of her children and had stood up for them often growing up.  “Let us go see if we can round them up.  We do not want to be late,” Yosuke added.

Sure enough, Teddie was dressed in a bright white suit, with a powder blue waistcoat with gold trim.  Yosuke couldn’t help but feel it looked frivolous, like something to be expected by French Royalty and not an English gentleman, but he knew no amount of scolding would get through to his younger brother.  It never did.  Instead, he stared imploringly at his father, who caught his eye and merely shrugged, eyes twinkling in amusement at his youngest’s actions as they all were ushered into the family carriage.

It didn’t take them long to arrive at the Yamato Estate owned by the Shirogane’s, the estate already milling with other carriages and other people arriving.  Yosuke spotted Naoto standing with her parents at the entrance to the estate where they were welcoming their guests as they arrived, and he after he stepped down from the carriage he waved at her, grinning when she gave him a short wave in response.  Naoto was dressed in an elegant white gown, a gauzy material covering the top for sleeves with a simple pattern embroidered into it, and her dark hair piled on top of her head.  It always felt odd for Yosuke to see Naoto at these formal events, since at home she often dressed in male clothing, finding it easier to get about doing the tasks required of her as the heir to her estate.  She looked lovely, however, and he told her so after taking her hand and placing a playful kiss upon it.  “Be careful now, Yosuke,” Naoto said dryly.  “You do not wish to get your mother too excited.”  Her eyes twinkled, for when they had been younger Mrs. Hanamura had often talked fondly about what a coupling between the two of them would be like.  That had changed once the Shirogane’s had revealed they were raising Naoto as their hair which meant she wouldn’t have a dowry.

Yosuke chuckled, before bowing to her parents, asking if it was alright if Naoto came inside with him.  They of course didn’t mind it, waving her off and telling her to enjoy the ball while resuming their greeting duties.  “Thank you, it is so mind numbing standing up there for the first hour,” Naoto sighed.  “Also, what on earth is Teddie wearing?”

Yosuke shook his head.  “Trust me, I do not think even he knows,” he said.  “I apologize in advance for the ruckus it will cause…”

Naoto laughed good naturedly.  “Do not worry.  We are all used to Teddie’s eccentricities by now,” she assured him.

“Has the renowned Miss Amagi with her £5000 a year arrived yet?” Yosuke asked curiously.  His father had already called on her but hadn’t said much about the elusive lady, obviously enjoying the stress it put on their mother.

“Not yet.  Families like that tend to arrive a bit later.  It draws them more attention,” Naoto replied straightforwardly, and Yosuke chuckled.  Their relationship was definitely based on mutual sharp wit and the propensity to judge those around them.  They both found a corner of the room at which to talk, watching as people arrived and eventually formed their usual cliques, gossiping about happenings in town while a band played and the younger members of society struck up the first dance for the night.  Teddie always participated in every dance, finding it more entertaining than sitting around talking.  With how long each dance lasted, Yosuke didn’t know how he kept up the energy.  He himself enjoyed dancing, but usually only found time for around three at the most.  Dancing meant leaving Naoto’s side, since his friend was not particularly fond of it herself.

Right as Chie came to join them after making her own rounds, they were interrupted by the announcement of the arrival of Miss Yukiko Amagi, Miss Rise Amagi, and Mr. Yu Narukami.  Rise was the younger sister of Yukiko who was also traveling with her while Yu was a name Yosuke was unfamiliar with.  Yukiko was dressed in an elegant dark red dress, not quite as dark as Yosuke’s suit but of a similar hue, with a necklace with rubies dangling along her neck and her black hair piled on top of her head.  She was very gorgeous, with dark hair and eyes and a natural elegance to her disposition.  Yosuke noticed the way Chie’s eyes trained on her, and the slight blush that came to her cheeks.  He exchanged a glance at Naoto and they both grinned knowingly at one another.  Maybe his mom would have something to take away from this ball after all.  Next to her, her sister Rise was dressed in a light pink gown, more sophisticated and matching the style from the city, with auburn hair swept up with little curls dangling down.  She had on pearl jewelry and looked positively stunning.  Yosuke noticed, however, that while Yukiko was generally giving everyone a pleasant smile as they made their way through the room, Rise, while also smiling, looked more judgmental, obviously taking in the local fashion which was much less refined than their own.  And Yu.

Yosuke turned to Naoto and whispered in her ear, “Have you ever seen such a bored looking man in your life,” causing Naoto to look at him before nodding in agreement.

“He does look rather severe,” she added.  Yu Narukami had a cool, almost bored expression on his face, and was dressed elegantly in a dark gray coat, matching breeches, expensive looking boots, and a cream colored undershirt and ascot.  It matched his odd gray hair and eyes, and Yosuke could tell as they slowly worked their way closer to their side of the room that the material on his coat was of a quality they could not reproduce in the country; it was definitely tailored in the city.

Once they arrived, Naoto’s father introduced them.  “Miss Amagi, Miss Amagi, and Mr. Narukami, this is Miss Naoto Shirogane, my daughter, Mr. Yosuke Hanamura, a dear family friend, and his elder sister Miss Chie Hanamura.”  All parties involved bowed and curtsied in greeting, and Yosuke noticed that Yukiko’s eyes seemed to trail upon Chie in interest.

“Will you all be dancing tonight?” he asked, eyeing his sister who looked at him in panic.  She often felt unsure dancing and didn’t take to it like her younger brothers did.  However, Yosuke knew it was a surefire way to get the two ladies to get to know each other.

“I will most certainly be dancing,” Yukiko replied with a smile.  She then turned to Chie.  “Would you be interested in accompanying me for my first dance, Miss Hanamura?”

Chie blushed slightly before saying, “Of course, Miss Amagi.  I would be honored.”

Naoto’s father then turned to Rise and Yu with interest.  “And will you also be joining in dance?  There are plenty of partners and it is such a diverting exercise.”

“I do not enjoy dancing,” Yu suddenly spoke, voice just as cool and disinterested as Yosuke had imagined it would be.  Yosuke couldn’t help but laugh to himself, noticing Yu’s eyes trail to him at his action, but merely replying by shooting him a cheeky smile.

“It seems rather rude not to dance when there are so many without partners,” Yosuke said, glancing over at the side of the room where several ladies were sitting and looking longingly at the floor.  While Yukiko or Naoto could ask a lady to dance as heirs to their household, most had to wait for a male hand.

Yu was quiet for a moment before replying, “And what of you?  I do not see you currently partaking in dance yourself.”

“I will be joining the next dance shortly.  I am well aware of the lack of partners and do my due diligence each party,” Yosuke quipped.  Next to him Chie rolled her eyes while looking amused, and Naoto seemed to enjoy their little exchange.  He then turned to Rise, asking politely, “Will you be dancing tonight, m’lady?”

Rise, who seemed to be enjoying the banter as well, looked at Yu in amusement.  “Unlike my fine companion here, I do not find it disagreeable.  I am sure I will join in a few myself.  Would you like to join me for my first one?”  She was still looking at Yu with a sly expression as she said it, the gray haired man looking uncomfortable by the banter.

“It would be my pleasure,” Yosuke replied, also amused.  “But let us not keep you from making your rounds.”

Once Mr. Shirogane led them away, Yosuke turned to Naoto and Chie, his eyes shining in delight.  “He is even better in person,” he joked, and Chie covered her laughter with her hand fan while Naoto shook her head.

“Only you would dare mouth off to such a man,” she sighed, and Yosuke raised an eyebrow.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“Miss Amagi is worth 5000 a year as you very well know.  But her companion is worth 10000 a year.”  Yosuke and Chie both stared at her in shock.

“10000 a year?” Yosuke asked, and Naoto nodded.

“Lord do not let my mother hear that,” he said almost to himself.  At that sum of money she may be next recommending he try his hand at marriage, even lacking a dowry as an heir in his own right.  Yosuke shook his head at the absurd thought, before saying cheerfully, “I cannot help but pity his future wife, even if she will be so well off.”

Soon, it was time for the first dance, and the Hanamura siblings peeled away from Naoto’s side in order to meet up with their dance partners.  Rise was amiable enough, either carefully hiding her earlier judgmental look or dropping it upon getting to know the people there.  She was a great dancer and conversationalist, and Yosuke found himself getting along with her splendidly as they danced.  He also noticed, to his great joy, that Yukiko and Chie seemed to be getting along as well and both appeared quite smitten with each other.  He also noticed based on her excitement that his mother appeared to have noticed as well, and he prayed that she wouldn’t find a way to mess things up for his sister.  He also noticed Yu in the background of the crowd, watching the dancing and activities with that same unaffected look on his face, and he couldn’t help but inwardly shake his head.  “What is with your friend?” he asked.  “Does he always look so unhappy?”

Rise looked over at Yu and laughed to herself.  “Honestly that is not even his unhappy look,” she replied.  “He just does not find balls as fun as you and I do.  He would rather be at home reading or writing letters to his younger sister.  Going off on hunts, that sort of thing.”

“Sounds boring to me,” Yosuke replied, and Rise laughed again. 

“I am glad I decided to dance with you.  You are quite amusing,” she said, almost looking sad to see the dance end.

Yu did end up dancing later that night with Rise, probably upon the lady’s great insistence, and Yosuke noticed that he appeared to dance quite well for someone so opposed to it.  Yosuke had stopped to grab himself and Naoto some punch to drink when he overheard Yukiko and Yu chatting with each other nearby between dancing.  Yosuke had noticed Yukiko had already danced with Chie twice and new his mother must be planning their wedding already.  He couldn’t help but listen in, especially when he heard his sister’s name.

“Why do you not dance with anyone else?” Yukiko insisted.  “There are plenty of amiable partners in the room.”

“The only amiable partner other than yourself or your sister appears to be the Hanamura girl you have taken to,” Yu replied loftily.  “I cannot account for any other in the room.”

Yukiko rolled her eyes and Yosuke couldn’t help but snort into his punch.  “Well, how about we consider the alternative then?  You seemed quite taken with Miss Hanamura’s brother earlier.  Why not ask him to dance?”

Yosuke froze, suddenly listening more closely.  “Taken is not a word I would have used,” Yu replied.  “He is certainly…opinionated.  But certainly not worth my time.”  Yosuke couldn’t help but laugh at Yu’s words, finding his stiff jab at Yosuke’s character quite silly.  He hardly knew Yosuke and didn’t seem the type to attempt to get to know someone once he had made his judgement about them.  Yosuke quickly downed his punch before taking Naoto’s cup, boldly walking right past Yukiko and Yu whose eyes widened in surprise, realizing that he must have overheard.  Yosuke didn’t give them time to say anything however, soon reaching Naoto and handing her the drink before motioning for her to join him on the other side of the room so he could tell her what happened. 

Naoto was shocked on his behalf by Yu’s rude words, but Yosuke reacted to it flippantly, explaining to Naoto, “It is much easier to laugh at his absurdity than to acknowledge it an allow it to impact my good mood.” 

Naoto shook her head, saying simply, “In this way you are like your father,” and Yosuke chuckled in agreement.

That night when they finally left the ball, Teddie passing out on the ride home after a night full of dancing, Mrs. Hanamura shared with the whole carriage tales about how many times Chie had danced with Yukiko and how obvious it was that Yukiko was smitten with her.  “Can you imagine, my daughter, marrying into a family that is 5000 a year?” she asked, while everyone else shook their heads.

“And that, Yu Narukami, I heard that he is 10000 a year.  Is that true?” Mrs. Hanamura asked, craning her head over to look at Yosuke.

“Yes, it is,” he replied, already seeing the gleam in her eyes.

“I heard that he spoke to you quite a few times at the ball,” she said, a scheming look in her eyes.

That is until Chie dashed her hopes.  “He was quite rude to Yosuke, actually,” she spoke up, and Mrs. Hanamura’s expression immediately changed.

“Rude?  To my son?  How so?” she asked, a dangerous lilt to her voice.  Chie related what had happened, because of course Yosuke had told her later that evening, while Yosuke looked out at the dark scenery surrounding them.  “How dare he insult my son!  What an insufferable man.  Miss Amagi will be welcome at our house but mark my words, that Mr. Narukami will never be,” Mrs. Hanamura said angrily.

“I will be sure to let them know,” Mr. Hanamura said in amusement, while his wife continued to rail about the slight her son suffered.  Chie patted Yosuke on the arm, giving him a comforting smile, while he leaned into her.

“I am glad you did not step on her foot,” he teased, and Chie slapped him on the arm.

“Thank you for setting that up.  It was most kind of you,” she replied.  “You looked like you enjoyed dancing with the other Miss Amagi at least.”

“She was nice enough,” Yosuke shrugged.  “I think she was attempting to make Mr. Narukami jealous though.  She stuck close to him for most of the night.”

“Maybe so,” Chie said.  “It was an enjoyable evening though, at the very least.”  Yosuke saw the flushed look still on his sister’s cheeks, and couldn’t help but hope a little for her happiness that things would work out.  He knew how much it would mean to her to not feel like a burden on the family.  And Yukiko seemed to be a very nice and charming lady, most unlike her friend.  Yu, on the other hand.  Yosuke wouldn’t mind if he did not have to encounter him again any time soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...before I started on the Pirate AU, I actually had an idea for a Pride and Prejudice AU after I realized that Yosuke has a lot of traits similar to Lizzie and Yu has a lot of traits similar to Darcy...and rewatched the 2005 movie and the BBC series to get ready for it. I decided to hold off on writing it until Soulmates was finished and when the Pirate's idea came to be that took priority as well, but I still have ideas jotted down for this story too. I guess I'd like to know if other people would be interested in reading something like this too, since I plan on starting it after the Pirates story.


	26. Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 26 of Souyowrimo has the prompt confession. This is set in the Journaling Your Feelings universe and is also a follow up to day 17 PDA.

Yu and Yosuke sat at their usual table at the Junes food court, surrounded by their friends from the Investigation Team.  It would have been just like old times if it wasn’t for the fact Rise and Naoto were missing and had to join in on the discussion via speakerphone – Naoto on Yu’s, Rise on Chie’s.  The others were looking at them curiously while Chie tried her best to pretend she had no clue why they were there.  The others had obviously picked up on it, but were waiting on their leader and second in command to explain why they had cryptically messaged everyone to meet up without providing a reason.

Yosuke was jiggling his leg nervously, and Yu had to do everything in his power not to reach over and place a reassuring hand on his thigh. Not yet.  Finally, Yosuke let out a loud huff before looking at Yu as if to ask, “Ready partner?”

Yu nodded and Yosuke took the lead.  “Yu and I…we have something to tell you,” he said, and he could tell based on everyone’s reactions who suspected and who were still clueless.  Chie looked relieved, and Yosuke was honestly impressed she had kept their secret for them from a few days, even from Yukiko since her expression looked genuinely surprised and excited.  Teddie, for all of his usual comments about smooching, looked completely confused, while Kanji was still trying to piece everything together.  He looked on the verge of figuring it out at least.  On the phones, Yosuke had heard an audible gasp from Rise while Naoto’s phone remained silent, but Yosuke could already imagine the calculated smile on her face.  “We’re together.  As in dating,” he quickly clarified, and there was a suddenly collection of gasps and happy shouts, along with a wail from Teddie who was upset Yosuke had kept it from him.

Soon, Yosuke found himself trying to pry off the distraught blond, insisting that Yosuke was taking away sensei, while Yu got to accept the happy congratulations from Yukiko and Kanji.  Chie was chatting on the phone with Naoto, answering some of the questions the detective was asking, having deduced based on the lack of verbal response from Chie she was in on it, while Yosuke found the other phone was thrust in his ear instead.  “Yeah, Rise-chan?” he asked.

“I knew it!” she said excitedly, and Yosuke winced.  “You always seemed jealous every time Yu-sempai hung out with one of us girls.  You know, I thought I would feel sad when sempai finally got together with you, but I wanted you to know that I’m happy for you both,” she said cheerfully.  “Yu-sempai better take care of you now that he has you – if he doesn’t, let me know,” she said with a devilish tint to her voice.

“I was expecting you to say kind of the opposite,” Yosuke admitted, surprised at her words, and Rise chuckled.

“I know you’d never do anything to hurt Yu-sempai,” she said confidently.  “He’s just kind of clueless sometimes though.”  Yosuke thought back to his odd way of confessing with the journal and chuckled.  Rise was absolutely right there.  “Put me back on speaker – I want you guys to share your story!” she said excitedly.

Yosuke slid the phone back to speaker and set it on the table, Rise’s saying, “Teddie, let go of Yosuke so they can tell us how they confessed!” causing the blond to pout before sitting next to Yosuke.  Based on how close he was sitting to Yosuke, the rest of the team figured he may be more upset about Yu stealing his brother figure.

“It all started the day Yu left for Tokyo the first time,” Yosuke explained, and Yu suddenly blushed, surprising the rest of the team who was used to their calm, collected leader.  Yosuke’s eyes were shining in amusement as he glanced over at Yu.

“You must be about to refer to that journal he handed you,” Naoto commented on the other line, and several others gasped.

“I knew there was something weird about that!  Especially when you refused to show it to us,” Chie said.  “So what was it?”

“Yeah, what was it, Yosuke?” Teddie asked, looking enthralled by the story.

“Well, Naoto-chan is right,” Yosuke confirmed.  “It _is_ a journal.  More specifically, it is Yu’s journal that he started when he moved to Inaba.”

All eyes turned to Yu, while Kanji bluntly asked, “What does this have to do with a confession?”

“Here’s the thing,” Yosuke explained.  “It _is_ the confession.”  Everyone seemed puzzled while Yu hid his face in his hands.  Yosuke, meanwhile, went over how he had read the journal from beginning to end, and how about halfway through Yu had began including entries about him that he would cross out…before eventually giving up and outright stating how he found his best friend attractive and thought he was falling for him.

Teddie’s eyes sparkled at that part, while Yukiko, Chie, and even Rise over the phone let out sighs of admiration.  “Ok, that is certainly an odd way to confess, but it’s also very romantic,” Yukiko said.  “So, what did you do, Yosuke?”

Now it was Yosuke’s turn to blush as Yu peeked out at him between his fingers.  “It kind of…broke me a little,” he admitted.  “I honestly wasn’t sure of my own feelings yet and after taking time to think it over I then wanted to respond in a creative way myself.”

Kanji looked interested at this turn.  “What did you do sempai?” he asked excitedly, and Yosuke turned to look at Yu, cheeks flushed as he begged him to take over.

Yu took pity on Yosuke, appreciating that he kick started the conversation, and smoothly took over.  “Yosuke spent hours coming up with a personalized playlist that spelled out ‘I Love You Yu,’” he explained.  “I was halfway through listening to the cd before I noticed it. He even designed a cover for it and each song fit our relationship too.  He called the cd his answer,” Yu explained proudly, while Yosuke winced while blushing even harder.  The others listened attentively, especially when they saw how fondly Yu looked at Yosuke in return.  “Do you want to see a picture?”

Everyone was immediately interested, with Rise demanding he text it to her and Naoto, and Yu chuckled before quickly complying and showing it off.  Yosuke made a strangled sound in the back of his throat but didn’t fight it, watching as his friends showed so much enthusiasm for the gift he had made for Yu.  “Wow, Yosuke, you did a really good job,” Chie said in surprise, and he frowned at her.

“Seriously, sempai, I’m impressed.  That was really thoughtful,” Kanji added as he held Yu’s phone and looked at the picture.

“Yooosuke’s so sauve,” Teddie added, and Yosuke rolled his eyes.

“I’m not sure about that.  But, I was certainly happy Yu liked it.  He called me directly aftward.”  The others let how sweet their confession was sink in, before Yukiko tapped one finger against her chin.

“So, you guys got together shortly after Yu left,” she said thoughtfully.  “Which means it was already long distance to start.”

“Unfortunately,” Yu agreed.

“It also means…we kept you apart when you visited for Golden Week.  Sorry guys,” Chie said with a wince.  “Although if you had told us…”

“Hmmm, didn’t they go to the beach recently too?” Rise asked.

“And before that Yosuke-sempai went to visit Yu for his birthday,” Naoto added, and they all exchanged glances.

“You went on dates and didn’t tell us?” Rise demanded at the same time Teddie shouted, “You were smooching all along?!”

Yosuke sighed, covering his hand with his face while Yu shook his head in amusement.  “This right here was why we held off saying anything,” he said.

“But sempai, we’re all happy for you,” Kanji said sincerely, causing both his upperclassman to immediately blush.

“Ok, maybe your reactions weren’t that bad,” Yosuke amended.  “Thanks guys, seriously.  For being so supportive.”

“Of course,” Chie grinned.  “I’m just glad the cat’s out of the bag!”

“You knew something,” Yukiko said, turning to Chie with narrowed eyes.  “How did you find out?”

Chie opened and shut her mouth before turning to look at Yu and Yosuke apologetically.  “I think it’s better if one of those two tell you that story,” she said and Yosuke let out a dramatic whine.

Yu chuckled.  “Yosuke and I were at the Samegawa Flood Plains and Chie stumbled upon us,” he explained.  There were some confused looks before they heard Rise suck in a breath.

“Doing what?” she demanded, and both boys immediately flushed.

“Yosuke was in my lap,” was all Yu could say, voice slightly strangled, and the others stared at them in stunned silence.

“Ugh, I didn’t want to remember that,” Chie groaned, putting one hand dramatically over her forehead.

“You didn’t want to remember?  Try us!  I could have sworn no one else was around,” Yosuke shot back.  “I thought I was going to die of embarrassment.”

“You guys were in public!” Chie retorted, and suddenly everyone was uncomfortable with the current turn in the conversation.

To everyone’s relief, Naoto carefully drew it back in.  “Well, we are all truly happy for you sempai,” she said, voice warm over the phone.  “We all know you will have a long and happy relationship.  You are “partners” after all.”

“Thank you, Naoto-kun,” Yu replied.  “And thanks to the rest of you as well.  We both really appreciate it.”  The Investigation Team smiled, and they then kicked Yu and Yosuke out of their own meeting, wanting to plan something to celebrate the two of them getting together. 

Yosuke rolled his eyes, mouthing, ‘Just typical!’ to Yu who had to chuckle before reaching out with his hand.  Yosuke automatically took it, lacing their fingers together as they started their trek back to the Dojima household.  They both felt better finally sharing with their friends, and while they hadn’t been truly worried about their reactions, it was still nice that everyone was so supportive.  Both young men were slightly worried about what shenanigans their friends had in store, but knew whatever it was they would face it together.


	27. A Meal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 27 of Souyowrimo's theme is a meal. I decided to set this in my It's Just a Rumor, Right? universe since Yosuke cooking for Yu is already an established theme. Enjoy Yosuke cooking Yu a nice meal to surprise him after his night class :)

Yosuke checked the time on his phone, trying to decide when to cook the noodles for the pasta.  He wanted them to be nice and hot for when Yu walked in the door.  His boyfriend was taking a night class, so since Yosuke had been practicing his cooking lately, he was taking it upon himself to actually make dinner tonight instead of ordering out like he usually did.  He had been helping Yu cook recently, making good on his promise to learn and get better at cooking, and knew how much it would mean to his boyfriend.

Yosuke already had a pot of pasta sauce gently simmering on the stove that he had started once he got out of his last class, sautéing some onions and Italian sausage for the base before adding tomato products and herbs for the marinara.  He had just made a few meatballs to add to the sauce as well, giving them time to cook in the sauce so they were nice and tender.  He had finished cooking a small loaf of garlic bread in their convection oven already and had just finished tossing together a salad.  He even had a fresh block of parmesan to grate over the pasta and salad – a very expensive purchase that he was sure Yu would lightly berate him for – but he thought it was worth it to create a perfect meal for the perfect man.

‘Looks like he’s got about 20 minutes left before his class ends,’ Yosuke thought and wandered over to fill up a pot of water so he could get it started boiling.  He had even been washing dishes between his tasks as he always watched Yu do so there wouldn’t be much work to do after dinner; he knew that if he had left it off, Yu would have insisted on doing them which totally defeated the purpose of surprising him by doing something nice.  Therefore, Yosuke was carefully taking away all options for him.  While he waited for the water to boil, he set the table, setting out some of their matching plates and nicer silverware (it was a mix between cheap stuff they bought on their own and nicer stuff that had been gifted to them), along with some glasses for their drink of choice.  They were still a tad too young for alcohol, but Yosuke was fine with soda even if he was trying to be a little fancy with the rest of the meal.

Yosuke heard the water begin to boil and he quickly rushed back into the kitchen, pulling out the angel hair pasta and dumping it in.  Yu usually made more traditional Japanese home cooked meal type dishes, so Yosuke thought if he was going to cook as well he should bring something interesting to the table.  They rarely were able to try Western style dishes, and pasta was always portrayed as a romantic meal.  He didn’t see how it could go wrong.  He also had a piece of tiramisu sitting in the fridge that he had picked up from the local bakery on the way home; he had requested them to make it since it wasn’t something they normally carried and was surprised when they agreed.  Apparently, they liked testing different desserts to see if they could garner interest.

Yosuke boiled the noodles for exactly 7minutes, ensuring they were el dente before pouring out the water.  He began plating each dish, making sure that the meatballs and sausages were resting on top for aesthetics before grating on the cheese and setting that and small bowls of the salad at each place.  The garlic bread was sliced and placed in the middle so they could grab some as they wished.  He then dimmed the lights and lit some candles in the middle of the table just as he heard the sound of Yu’s feet and the jiggling of his keys as he returned to their apartment.  Yosuke stood excitedly next to the chair Yu usually used, ready to pull it out to seat him at the table. 

Yu stepped in, kicking off his shoes and sliding on house slippers while blinking in confusion at the dim lighting.  He also began to sniff, obviously catching a whiff of the pasta sauce, before peering over toward the kitchen.  “Yosuke, why are you standing in the dark?” he asked, walking toward the table and staring down at the place setting with a dumbfounded look on his face.  “What’s all of this?” he asked, looking over at the kitchen and noting that all of the dishes had already been done.  Yosuke had rinsed out the pot after using it as well.

“This is your dinner. Here, have a seat,” Yosuke said, pulling out his hair.  He was very pleased by Yu’s reaction, and the silver haired man could tell.  He chuckled as he sat down, before looking at his plate.

“This looks amazing, partner,” he said, looking up at Yosuke who flushed slightly at the compliment.  He sat down across from Yu before pouring both of them some soda.

“Buon Appetito!” he said proudly, and Yu quickly picked up his fork and tried one of the meatballs.  He immediately let out a moan of pleasure, before covering his mouth in surprise.

“This is amazing,” he said.  “When did you learn how to make this?”

“When I went home for Golden Week, I did some practicing,” Yosuke grinned.  “And if I’m cooking, I want to do something a little different for you.”

It was Yu’s turned to blush at the sincere way Yosuke said it, along with the way his eyes stared at him with honest appreciation.  “I think I’m going to start looking forward to this,” Yu said, taking a bite of pasta this time and marveling at the flavor of the sauce.  Because Yosuke had cooked it for several hours, it had a lot of flavor and was honestly better than anything Yu had tried at any restaurant. 

“Good, because I’ll be doing this every Thursday,” Yosuke replied.  That was when Yu held his night class.

“Thursday night date night, huh?” Yu asked thoughtfully, grabbing a piece of garlic bread.  Yosuke grabbed one too and dipped it in some of the excess sauce before taking a bite.  The food really was good, and he could honestly say he was pretty relieved it turned out so well.  He wasn’t lying when he said he had practiced at home; he wanted this meal to be entirely without help for a change.

Yu reached across the table, palm up, and Yosuke glanced up before sliding his hand over it.  Yu grasped his hand, before saying, “You don’t know happy this makes me.  That you truly have found an interest doing something I love.”

Yu smiled shyly at him.  “Well, of course.  Because I love you,” he said.

“Yes but I don’t learn how to play on your guitar,” Yu countered, and Yosuke laughed

“No instead you bought me that guitar and put up with me practicing all the time,” he teased.  “And you listen to me go on about music.”

Yu shook his head.  “It’s not a problem.  I love listening to you talk,” he replied, squeezing Yosuke’s hand.

Yosuke looked bashful at his reply and gently tugged away his hand.  “You can sweettalk me after you finish this awesome meal, ok?”

Yu planned on following up on that statement and grinned, enjoying the rest of his dinner with his boyfriend.  That’s when Yosuke pulled out his other surprise – the tiramisu he had gotten from the bakery.  “I’ve honestly never tried this before but it’s supposed to be a great Italian dessert and I thought it fit the theme for the evening,” he said, while Yu’s eyes widened in surprise.

“It’s very good.  Definitely my style,” Yu laughed.  “You’ll probably like it too since it contains espresso.”  Yu was of course referring to Yosuke’s coffee addiction.  It had only grown worse in college with their morning classes.

Yosuke deftly cut it in half before sliding a piece onto a clean plate for Yu and himself.  He then brought the piece up to his lips and took a bite, surprised by the smooth and creamy texture and how well it paired with the espresso soaked lady fingers.  It was a surprisingly light dessert, and Yu was right, he did like it.  “Wow, did I make a good choice,” Yosuke congratulated himself, and Yu laughed.

“That you did,” he agreed, smiling gratefully at Yosuke.  Once they were both finished, Yosuke quickly scooped up the dishes to clean them while Yu protested.  Yosuke wouldn’t hear it, though, and washed them as Yu pouted.

“You always do the dishes for me when I cook,” he pointed out, while Yosuke tutted at him.

“You also cook almost every night.  Besides, like you said, this is date night.  You know the rules for date night,” Yosuke argued.  He basically had it set to whomever asked the other on a date covered the costs, mainly so Yu couldn’t attempt to buy anything when Yosuke wanted to treat. 

“We never set those parameters for stay at home dates,” Yu argued, and Yosuke grinned at him.

“I believe I just did,” he said, while Yu narrowed his eyes.

“You’ll regret that,” he said, tapping his foot thoughtfully.  He then leaned forward and captured Yosuke’s lips with his before he could retort again.  Yosuke’s mouth was already half open since he had been about to, and Yu used the opportunity to dive his tongue in, pulling Yosuke close as he enjoyed his heat and the lingering taste of tiramisu.  Yosuke gasped into the kiss, melting against Yu and enjoying the sudden turn in the date.

When Yu pulled away, half lidded eyes staring into Yosuke’s who was staring back with a feverish gaze, he couldn’t help but say, “I’m going to give Yosuke’s Restaurant a five star review.  Gorgeous food and a delicious chef,” he said with a wide grin, while Yosuke shook his head.

“Don’t you think you have that backwards?” he asked, and Yu shook his head.

“I stand by my review.  In fact, I wouldn’t mind another taste,” he said, leaning in for another kiss.  Yosuke swiftly kissed him back, while also chuckling at Yu’s odd sense of humor.  When Yu pulled away, he murmured into Yosuke’s ear, “Chef, do you do in home, private lessons?” he asked, and Yosuke felt a shiver run up his spine in response.

He glanced at their bedroom before turning back to Yu.  “I do have a studio right over there,” he motioned, “If you’re interested that is.”

“I am working up an appetite,” Yu grinned, before Yosuke laughed and tugged him into the bedroom.  Yu was definitely going to start looking forward to Thursday nights if they were all going to end like this.


	28. Shadows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 28 of Souyowrimo has a theme of Shadows. Yosuke keeps having nightmares about his shadow returning and goes to the TV World in order to speak to Susano-o about what's going on.

“Hello…me,” Yosuke’s voice drawled from behind him.  Yosuke froze, feeling a chill run up his spine as he slowly turned around.  Standing behind him was his mirror image, only he had bright yellow eyes and an unsetting grin. 

Also…  “What are you doing out?  Where’s Susano-o?” Yosuke demanded, gripping his kunai tightly in his hands.

His shadow leaned closer until his eyes were staring directly into his.  “Where do you think?” he smirked.  “You know what happens when you deny yourself…”

Yosuke felt an unsettling feeling pool in his gut, and he tried to summon his Persona to prove his shadow wrong.  But of course, if his shadow was here in front of him, then he Susano-o couldn’t be inside him.  “No!” Yosuke gasped, before sitting up in his bed, drenched in a cold sweat.  He gripped his sheets, feeling his heart racing and desperately reaching out for Susano-o.  To his relief, his Persona responded to his mental nudge, even if it was distantly due to being in the real world.

Yosuke pulled out his phone by habit, ready to message his partner about the odd dream, before he suddenly caught himself.  He looked at the time, wincing when he realized it said 2am, and knew it would be rude to message him this late.  Besides.  Yosuke ran a hand through his hair.  Yu was now in the city and he knew his best friend was busy.  He didn’t want to bother him about the strange dream, even if it was for the third time that week.  Yosuke didn’t want to seem clingy or constantly refer back to their time with the IT; he wanted to give Yu a chance to move on, even if a part of him was clearly unable to.

‘Maybe I should talk to Susano-o,’ Yosuke thought, even if he was a little nervous based on the events in the dream.  He figured even if his shadow did show up though…he knew how to handle and accept him at this point so he should be ok.  He pondered speaking to someone else about it, maybe Chie, but knew she’d probably let it slip somehow and that if Yu found out he didn’t tell him he’d probably be hurt.  Yosuke sighed before getting up, wanting to switch out his shirt and maybe rinse off some sweat.  Teddie stirred in the futon lying on Yosuke’s floor and blinked up at him with sleepy blue eyes.

“Yosuke, you’re awake again?” he yawned, and Yosuke kneeled down next to him.

“Yeah, I’m fine though Ted.  Go back to sleep,” he said, gently brushing the blond’s hair out of his eyes.  Teddie looked concerned but drifted back to sleep afterward, snuggling into his blankets.  Yosuke then stripped off his shirt and grabbed another one before going to the bathroom to wipe himself down with a wet cloth.  Once he was dry he put on the new shirt before staring at himself thoughtfully in the mirror.  For a split second he _almost_ thought his reflection had golden colored eyes and jumped back with a start, but then realized his tired, anxious face was the only thing staring back at him and calmed down.

‘Man these nightmares are really getting to me,’ Yosuke realized.  He hadn’t been sleeping well lately and it was finally starting to impact his grades.  He had been working really hard this semester and didn’t want them to slip when he was already on a delicate line due to past performance.  Yosuke splashed some water on his face before heading back to his room, crawling into bed and resolving tomorrow he would face it.  He didn’t have work and neither did Teddie, so he was pretty sure he could sneak in without the bear knowing he had visited.  He would just have to make up some excuse to his family, like staying over at the library to study, and no one would know the difference.

The next day Yosuke put his plan into action, telling his family at breakfast he would be staying late after class and trying not to feel guilty at Teddie’s pouting face.  Usually when they shared a day off they did something together.  “Sorry, Ted, I really want to do well on this upcoming test,” Yosuke lied.  “I promise I’ll make it up to you!”

“Now Teddie, you know Yosuke’s grades take priority,” Mr. Hanamura lightly chided.  “You can come watch tv with me this afternoon instead.”

Teddie brightened at that, since he didn’t get to spend as much time with Yosuke’s father due to his busy schedule.  “Really?” he asked, and Yosuke looked relieved that it got Teddie off his case.  If the bear became suspicious, he knew his cover would be blown.

His mother was watching him carefully – she had shown concern about his recent fatigue – and he wasn’t surprised when she said, “I know you want to do well so you can go to school with Yu-kun, but try not to overdo it.”  She had a worried frown on her face, and Yosuke tried his best to look energetic and reassure you.

“I promise I won’t,” he replied.  “I’m amazed mom – you should be overjoyed your slacker son has learned to put in an effort!”

“I’ve always been proud of my son, slacker or otherwise,” she dryly replied.  “But if you get too tired I want you to come home and get some rest, ok?”

Yosuke immediately sobered up and nodded.  “Of course,” he said before checking his phone.  “Gotta go now though – see you later!”

Yosuke breathed a sigh of relief as he grabbed his bag and rushed out the door.  He had been afraid for a moment that his mother was going to force him to come home early and foil his plans.  Which would have been a waste because with these nightmares it wasn’t like he could relax anyway.  Yosuke had to sit through another long day at class, no longer quite as entertaining without Yu there to keep him company and whisper him answers.  To be honest, Yosuke often knew the answer these days, but the past week had been rough with him getting tired in class.  Chie had taken up kicking the back of his chair to wake him up, and yesterday and today Yukiko had surprised him with a can of coffee from the vending machine.  Yosuke definitely appreciated his friend’s gestures, and he could tell both girls were starting to get worried about him.  All the more reason to take care of it before it became a bigger problem.

After class, instead of sticking around to talk to Chie and Yukiko like usual, he told them he had to go and was getting called into work.  It was an easy lie because it had happened in the past so they were used to things like that popping up.  And this time, maybe because of how tired he was or the fact Susano-o knew he was coming to see him, his connection seemed to have improved and he felt a straining feeling in his head that let him know Susano-o was not appreciating his little fibs today.  Shadows and Personas were all about facing the truth after all.  Yosuke sent him a mental apology and Susano-o eased off a little as he began making his way to Junes.  He didn’t really like lying to his friends and family either, but he simply didn’t want to worry them, especially when he was pretty sure it was nothing.  He could definitely handle this on his own.

Yosuke finally arrived at Junes and did his best to inconspicuously walk in, staring at the ground while carefully maneuvering his way around any employees or regulars that he spotted.  Eventually he made his way to the relatively empty portion of the electronics section where the large televisions were located, slightly dusty since no one had been by to clean in awhile.  Yosuke carefully glanced around before sticking his hand through the tv carefully, getting a feel for the process since it had been awhile since he had travelled over there.  It felt oddly comforting, since it was something he had grown so used to last year.  After one last glance around, Yosuke tumbled himself through, quickly flipping himself back around so he was able to land into a crouched position as opposed to landing on his ass like he did the first time. 

He then stood up, suddenly wishing he had his headphones for comfort while he pulled out his glasses from where he’d stowed them in his jacket pocket, sliding them onto his face and feeling relief from the fog.  Even after they’d beaten that goddess, the fog still felt heavy and draining since it was the natural feeling on the other side.  He could sense shadows far off in the distance, but they were less aggressive now with Adachi behind bars and the goddess taken care of so he knew he didn’t have anything to worry about.  Yosuke could feel Susano-o’s presence inside of him and could tell that he was itching to speak, so he closed his eyes and took a deep breath before summoning him.

When he opened his eyes, he found himself face to face with his shadow.  Yosuke tensed in surprise and took a step back, suddenly vividly remembering his nightmares, but noticed that his shadow didn’t do anything and instead patiently waited for him to finish freaking out.  Yosuke also noted that he looked solemn and worried as opposed to manic as in his dream, and he finally began to relax.  “Susano-o?” he asked hesitantly, and his shadow nodded.

“I am thou,” he replied, and Yosuke breathed a sigh of relief.

“What’s going on?” he asked.  “Have you been causing those awful nightmares?”

“Your nightmares are due to the fact you have been hiding the truth from yourself,” his shadow frowned, crossing his arms and tapping his foot.  “I came to you in this form so I could speak with you plainly.  You do not always listen or understand when I am as Susano-o.”

Yosuke felt a bit guilty but nodded in understanding.  It was true, because the Personas didn’t speak so much as relay their feelings mentally and emotionally to them, so sometimes it was hard to pick up on why.  “So, I’m suppressing something again,” Yosuke said thoughtfully. He also had his arms cross in a mirror to his shadow and appeared deep in thought.

“Be honest with me,” his shadow said.  “When did you first start having trouble sleeping?”

Yosuke’s brows furrowed.  “Obviously this wee…” he started to say, before trailing off.  That wasn’t true, now was it?  He suddenly remembered the first night he had trouble sleeping.  Yosuke sucked in a deep breath, and his shadow softly smiled at him.  “When partner left on the train,” Yosuke said slowly.  That night he had a lot of worries, the prime one being that once Yu had returned to the city, he’d slowly forget about him or lose touch.  So far that hadn’t been the case but…

Before he could get too caught up in his thoughts, his shadow continued.  “Why won’t you tell partner about your dreams?” he asked pointedly, eyes watching Yosuke sharply for a response.

Yosuke opened his mouth, saw the shadow’s pointed look, then shut it.  He had been about to say because he didn’t want to bother or worry Yu, but he knew that would only rile his shadow up.  So, he dug deeper, really thinking about the root of the problem.  “Because…” he thought back to the first night he lost sleep.  “Because the nightmares are actually…related to him?” he said slowly, with a hint of a question.

“You’re partially right,” his shadow replied.  “But I want you to consider why they’re related to him.”

Yosuke stared at his shadow for several long moments, a hint of red slowly growing on his cheeks.  His shadow stared him down, however, not breaking his gaze or allowing him to look away.  Yosuke was going to be honest with him this time.  Yosuke opened his mouth again, hesitating for a moment, before saying, “I miss him.  I miss Yu.”  Shadow Yosuke nodded.  “But…not like I’d miss say Chie or Teddie even.”  Another nod.  “I…” Yosuke leaned over, suddenly finding it hard to breath.  Shadow Yosuke stepped forward, placing a hand on his back in a move that was oddly comforting.  Yosuke didn’t know to take it, not after weeks of having nightmares, and his previous experience when he first met his shadow.  It reminded him that his shadow truly was Susano-o and was only here to help.

“I love him,” Yosuke finally said, and his shadow squeezed his shoulder in a pleased way before disappearing into a bright flash of white.  In his place was Susano-o, who hovered in front of him and sent a soothing feeling coursing through Yosuke’s body to combat the panic he had been starting to feel.  Yosuke knew that Susano-o was letting him know it was ok, his feelings were ok, and they’d work things out.  Yosuke smiled at him in relief, before saying, “Thanks,” causing the red haired Persona to bow before disappearing back into him.  Yosuke let out a deep sigh and closed his eyes, before sliding off his glasses and staring into the fog.  He then slid his glasses back on, blinking his eyes to adjust, and stared back at the fog and how things through the fog were suddenly clear and detailed. 

‘That’s what Susano-o did for me just now,’ he realized.  He had been stumbling through the fog since Yu left, and through the nightmares Susano-o had given him as a warning about what to expect if he continued down that path.  Coming here today had definitely been the right choice.  Yosuke looked around the TV world platform one more time before turning around and stepping back through the TVs Teddie left out for them to pass back and forth through.  Once he tumbled back out into the main world, glad once again that people hardly frequented this part of the store, he began to walk back home while pondering over his realization.  It certainly was true, that he couldn’t deny.  In fact, those feelings had probably existed before Yu departed, but had only become apparent once Yosuke started missing him.  And now…Yosuke wasn’t entirely sure _what_ to do with those feelings.

Sure, he and Yu kept in touch, and he was trying to make it out to the city to go to school together, but he didn’t know if it was appropriate to tell him his newly discovered feelings while they were long distance.  It would be hard, and Yosuke didn’t want to force Yu’s hand for him.  Because now that he understood his feelings, he was starting to realize that bets were Yu had to feel the same.  Just something in his friend’s actions when around him and the fact he always avoided picking favorites with the girls when Yosuke asked…  Man, did he feel like an idiot. 

Before Yosuke could berate himself any longer, he felt that gentle tug from Susano-o, reminding him to be nicer to himself, and he felt himself calm down again.  First, he had to work through what his feelings meant.  Then he’d decide what to tell Yu and when.  Once he made the decision, he felt that warmth in his chest that meant his Persona agreed with his decision and he couldn’t help but feel a bit relieved.  “Ok, I can do this,” Yosuke said aloud, before stopping at the shopping district on his way home to pick up a topsicle for the pouting bear.  He knew it would cheer Teddie up and cause the blond to forgive him for abandoning him that afternoon.  He also, after thinking for a moment, sent a text to Yu asking how he was doing today and saying that he had been thinking about him today.

To his surprise, Yu immediately replied, letting him know that he was well and thought of Yosuke every day too, and Yosuke couldn’t help but feel a blush cross his face at the fact Yu had not only read between the lines but had also acknowledged it.  ‘Maybe he won’t mind so much if I do confess,’ Yosuke thought, continuing to text back and forth with Yu on the way home.  But the time he got back, he was suddenly in a lot better mood and refreshed, and he knew that night he would finally get a good night’s sleep.


	29. Arts and Crafts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 29 of Souyowrimo is arts and crafts. Although it wasn't my original plan, this ended up tying into my It's Just a Rumor, Right? universe as well. Yu, Yosuke, and Nanako spend an afternoon drawing together.

“Yosuke-nii, what is that?” Nanako asked curiously, peering over at the picture he was drawing.  Yu looked over his picture and snorted, giving Yosuke a long look before returning back to his own sketch.

Yosuke was blushing in embarrassment and stuck his tongue out in retaliation at Yu’s smirking face, before turning his attention solely to Nanako who was too focused studying his picture with a puzzled expression on her face to notice their exchange.  “It’s the guitar Yu got me for Christmas last year,” he said, still a bit flushed as he showed Nanako the guitar strings and the musical notes.  “I know I’m not that great at drawing, sorry…”

“I love it!” Nanako said excitedly.  “It means you really like big bro’s gift!”  Yosuke couldn’t help but smile in that warm way he saved for Nanako, and Yu watched with his head resting on his hand, heart melting as it often did when Yosuke and Nanako spent time together.  Nanako had liked Yosuke from the beginning due to his connection with Junes, and Yu knew it always touched the young man who appreciated the rare support.  He doted on her and had visited her often to keep her company his third year when Yu had left Inaba, and it appeared they had grown even closer in his absence.  She seemed to pick up that their relationship had changed and often referred to Yosuke as her brother too, which always made Yu a little happy.  Yu also had to admit, the fact that Yosuke was drawing his gift, even if poorly, was touching.

Nanako then turned her wide eyed gaze to him and asked, “What are you drawing big bro?”

Yosuke turned to look at him, also appearing curious.  “Yeah partner, let’s see your masterpiece since you were so unimpressed with mine.”  He was smirking and obviously preparing himself for payback.  Yu hesitated, suddenly feeling a little shy, before turning his page around and showing them.  Yosuke’s eyes widened in surprise while Nanako clapped her hands excitedly.

“They look so cute!” he said.  Yu had drawn a silver looking kitten with an orange looking puppy that were playing together.  His style was surprisingly cute and his lines were very clean – it looked like a drawing for the cover of a manga.  Yosuke felt his heart sink before glancing up at Yu.  He didn’t know that on top of everything else his boyfriend could draw too.

“Yeah, it’s cute,” he grumbled, before returning to his pathetic guitar.  He saw Yu frown out of the corner of his eye and let out a huff, deciding to change the topic by focusing on Nanako.

“So, what are you working on?” he asked.  She had been coloring diligently all afternoon, huddled up over the picture so she could hide it from them as she worked.

“I am almost done,” she replied.  “I want it to be a surprise!”

“Well, we can’t wait to see the surprise, Nanako,” Yu replied with a pleasant smile.  Nanako beamed at him before getting back to work.  About five minutes later she set down her crayon before declaring that she was finished.

“Are you ready?” she asked, and Yu and Yosuke both nodded.

“Lay it on us, Nanako-chan,” Yosuke replied.

Nanako blushed happily before pulling up her picture, showing them very well rendered stick figures standing in a house.  One had pigtails, one had gray hair, and the other had headphones.  “It’s us!” she said with a wide smile, and Yosuke patted her gently on the head.

“You did a great job!” he said, gently taking it from her hands to look at it. 

“Yes, we love it,” Yu added, fingers itching to grab the picture to look at it as well.  Yosuke noticed and grinned before handing it over. 

He then turned to face Nanako and asked seriously, “Is it ok if your big bro and I take that back with us to college to hang up on our fridge?” he asked, and Nanako looked delighted at the idea.

“Really?” she asked, and Yosuke nodded seriously.  “I would like that!”

“Good,” Yu said, smiling softly at Yosuke. 

Yosuke looked away in embarrassment and then froze when Nanako added, “Can I keep your picture then Yosuke-nii?”

Yosuke stared at her in shock, that warm admiration suddenly creeping back into his gaze.  “You…want to keep it?” he asked, looking down at it in surprise.

“Yes, because it shows your feelings for big bro,” she said.  Yu was staring at Yosuke, a blush suddenly creeping up on his face at the thought.  He suddenly wished he had asked for the picture instead of Nanako, and regretted snickering at it earlier.

“You can have it,” Yosuke said, handing it over to her.  He then turned to face Yu.  “I guess that means I should take yours,” he said, snatching it from where it had been resting in front of him.  Yu rose an eyebrow while Yosuke looked at it with a grin.  “This is supposed to be us, right?  I should frame this and put it somewhere in the apartment.”

Yu’s blush deepened, especially when Nanako gasped and said, “It is both of you!  The kitty is big bro and the puppy is Yosuke-nii!”

She grinned widely upon her discovery, eyes sparkling as she looked at both of them, and Yu replied, “Very good Nanako.  You’re absolutely correct.”  He also glanced at Yosuke thoughtfully, wondering why he had suddenly seemed interested in his picture after he had seemed to dislike it earlier.  Since it was Nanako’s bedtime, however, he waited to ask Yosuke about it until he had taken her upstairs and put her to bed.  Nanako was overjoyed to have him back home for the summer and reveled in having his attention every day again.

When he walked back downstairs, he found Yosuke staring at the fridge where Nanako had put his picture up with a magnet next to some she had made for Dojima.  He also had both Yu’s picture and Nanako’s in his hand, probably in order to take them back to his parent’s house since he’d be leaving back for college a little earlier than Yu; his club had something going on before the start of the semester.  Yu came up behind him, placing an arm around his waist before resting his head on Yosuke’s shoulder.  “I thought you didn’t like my picture,” he said, and Yosuke stiffened.

“I was just jealous,” he said softly.  “Sometimes it’s like there’s nothing you can’t do,” he shrugged. 

Yu tightened his grip on Yosuke’s waist.  “That’s not true, Yosuke.  And I’m sorry I laughed at yours.  I shouldn’t have done that.  I’m actually quite jealous Nanako snatched it up before I could,” he said, and Yosuke rolled his eyes.

“Let’s not pretend my picture is worth anything,” he replied, and Yu shook his head. 

“It’s worth something to me,” he replied straightforwardly.  “Like Nanako said, it shows how much you care about me.”  He said it lightly, and Yosuke tried to pull away, pretending to be annoyed.  Yu chuckled and gripped him tighter, and he felt Yosuke relax in his arms.

“I dunno, I feel kind of honored to have made it onto the Dojima fridge,” Yosuke replied.  “I don’t think even you have, have you?”

Yu hummed against Yosuke’s shoulder.  “You’re right, I haven’t,” he said.  “I guess it’s like you’re part of the family now though.”  He said it casually, but Yosuke could tell by his careful tone that it was said deliberately. 

He turned his head to catch Yu’s side profile and saw the measured way he was watching him.  “You know you’re already part of my family, right?” he replied.  “My parents adore you.  And Teddie always wants to talk to you on our Skype calls.”  Yu suddenly buried his face into Yosuke’s shoulder, but the brunet could tell a split second before hand that Yu had blushed happily at his words.  Yosuke chuckled before reaching up and ruffling the back of Yu’s hair, before saying, “Unfortunately I have to go home tonight.  My parents told me that I live with you now so no excuses to stay over.”

Yu laughed at that before saying, “I know you miss them anyway.”  He then kissed Yosuke’s check before finally letting him go.  “Text me when you get home?” he said, and Yosuke nodded before waving and heading to the door.  Yu walked out to the doorstep and watched Yosuke get on his old bike, his parents for some reason keeping it for him in spite of its condition, before he waved one more time and rode off.  Yu had a warm feeling in his chest as his soulmate rode away, his words ‘You’re already part of my family,’ ingrained in his heart. 

Once Yosuke was finally out of sight he headed inside, closing and locking the door behind himself.  He leaned against the door, getting lost in thought for a moment as he remembered the sound of Yosuke’s voice as he had said those words.  He wandered back over to the fridge, smiling he looked at Yosuke’s picture, and reached out to touch it with one hand.  He remembered Yosuke playing the guitar for him for the first time outside their window, and many times since, due to the fact that was still his favorite song.  He then pictured the drawing he did for both of them sitting in a frame in their apartment and blushed.  When they had first gotten together, Yu hadn’t realized how domestic they would both one day become, and how well they just seemed to fit together.  More and more every day Yu began to believe in that rumor about finding your soulmate on the midnight channel, even if it was probably silly.  Yu’s phone suddenly buzzed in his hand, and he checked his messages to see that Yosuke had in fact made it home and was telling him goodnight.  Yu quickly messaged back before heading upstairs, deciding to read a little before bed, dreams about a more permanent feature with Yosuke flittering through his head.  ‘One day,’ he thought as he slid open his book.


	30. Chores

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 30 of Souyowrimo has a theme of chores. I set it during the Yosuke's Surprise Trip universe (wasn't my original idea but it seemed to fit) where Yosuke begins goofing off while he and Yu do chores one afternoon.

****

It was a lazy Saturday afternoon, and Yu and Yosuke were knee deep in chores.  Yu was going through and reorganizing the cabinets, while also taking the time to clean them out in the process, while Yosuke was going through the living room dusting and making sure all of his CDs were back in their proper place.  Yosuke had music quietly playing from his laptop which was haphazardly resting on the coffee table, while Hana was curled up and sleeping on the couch.  Suddenly, the song switched to “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” by Queen, and Yosuke couldn’t help but pause while glancing over at Yu.  An idea suddenly popped into his head. 

Yosuke snuck over to his laptop and turned up the volume, capturing Yu’s attention at the sudden change in volume, before sauntering over to him, grabbing the broom that was leaning against the wall in the corner of the kitchen.  Yu rose his eyebrow, especially when Yosuke began to lip-synch to the song.  “I gotta be cool, relax, get hip,” he mouthed, pretending to sing to the top of the broom and shaking his hips at the end of the line.

Yu snorted, setting down his washcloth and leaning back against the counter to watch in amusement.  Yosuke continued to shake his hips and dance as the song continued on.  “And get on my track’s, take a back seat, hitch-hike,” he mouthed, sticking his thumb out and causing Yu to chuckle.  “And take a long ride on my motorbike,” Yosuke continued to lip-synch while lifting his leg over the broom and pretending to ride it.  Out of the corner of his eye, Yosuke noticed that Hana had hopped up onto the back of the couch and was staring at him, and he couldn’t help but feel a little bit foolish.  But he continued on for the rest of the song regardless.

Once he was through, Yu began clapping while asking, “What brought on that inspired performance?”

Yosuke grinned.  “I dunno, you seem like you needed a break,” he chuckled.  The next song began to play, one with a Latino beat to it since Yosuke was simply playing his music on shuffle, and Yosuke began to sweep while still swaying his hips to the song, dipping down the broom at some parts like he was doing a tango with it and further distracting his fiancé. 

Suddenly, Yu couldn’t handle it anymore and he took the broom from Yosuke’s hands, saying swiftly, “Mind if I step in?” to the broom while placing it back against the wall.  He then took Yosuke’s hands and led him into a real tango, Yosuke easily following his step as Yu swept him across the kitchen floor, dipping him down toward the end of the song and staring him directly in the eyes with a sultry look.

Yosuke felt his face flush as Yu brought him back up, smiling coyly before returning to his cabinets.  “We need to finish on chores before moving on to other things,” Yu chided him, carefully keeping his back turned so as to not get swept up by anymore of Yosuke’s shenanigans.  Yosuke pouted at his back but continued to enjoy the music as he worked, sweeping up the kitchen before moving into the living room to vacuum.  While he did that, Yu mopped the floor before grabbing laundry for them to both sort through and fold.

Yosuke plopped down on the couch next to Yu, reaching up to pet Hana who was sitting on the back behind Yu’s head so she could watch what they were doing.  Yu began separating their clothes into piles and folding them, while Yosuke got to work on the towels and bed sheets.  He glanced at Yu out of the corner of his eye while working on one of the towels, suddenly wanting payback after Yu cut off their flirting earlier. 

“Hey, partner,” Yosuke said, masking his voice to sound more serious, and when Yu turned to look at him, Yosuke deftly slid the towel behind the back of Yu’s neck and tugged forward until Yu’s face was close to his and he was kneeling over his lap.  Yu had to brace himself by throwing his hands on Yosuke’s arms and almost fell against his chest in surprise.

“Yosuke,” he admonished with a slight frown while Yosuke smirked, leaning forward to sneak in a kiss.

“Hmm?” he asked teasingly, and to his smug satisfaction Yu didn’t say anything and instead dived in for another kiss, knocking Yosuke back until he was sprawled out over the clean laundry.  Yu was pressed against Yosuke’s chest while kneeling over him, arms on either side of him as he lazily ran his lips along Yosuke’s, diving in for long, languid kisses.  Yosuke let go of the towel, opting instead to run his fingers through his fiancé’s silky hair and relishing in the feel of Yu’s soft lips as they brushed over his.

When Yu finally pulled away for a breath, staring down at Yosuke with liquid silver eyes, Yosuke stared back at him and smiled before saying, “I thought we were supposed to wait to finish chores first?” while trying to appear innocent. 

“What am I supposed to do when my husband to be is such a tease?” Yu asked, and Yosuke shrugged.

“I know what I want,” he said, running a finger along Yu’s collarbone and causing the other man to close his eyes and shiver at the touch.  Before they could continue even further, however, they were interrupted as Hana suddenly leapt from the back of the couch onto Yu’s back, before settling down and closing her eyes.  Yosuke saw Yu’s look of despair the moment it happened, and he knew that he was going to be stuck for awhile.  Yu could never move their cat once she got settled like that.

“Yu,” he warned, and his fiancé shook his head.  “Partner…” he whined this time and Yu buried his head in his shoulder.

“Don’t you want to rest here?” he asked hopefully, and Yosuke let out a long sigh.

“I can’t even tempt you with promises of heading to the bedroom, can I?” he asked bitterly, and Yu shook his head against his shoulder.

“You’re comfortable,” he said, voice slightly muffled.  Yu wrapped his arms around Yosuke’s waist as he said it, and Yosuke sighed before returning to kneading his fingers through his hair.

“You’re such a sucker for our cat,” he lightly chided, but he honestly didn’t mind.  What he wanted this whole time was Yu’s undivided attention, and he had it now, even if it wasn’t in the way he expected.  “At least it smells good,” he commented, and Yu chuckled, Yosuke feeling the reverberations along his chest.

“It smells great,” Yu said.  “Like you.”

“It smells like our fabric softener,” Yosuke teased, and Yu shook his head, burying his face against Yosuke’s soft shirt.

“No, it smells like you,” he insisted, and Yosuke could feel him relax as he settled his position sprawled across him, adjusting slightly in order to ensure Yosuke was comfortable.  Yosuke eyed their cat and how comfortable she looked on Yu’s back, shaking his head.

“We’re quite the family aren’t we,” he muttered, and he felt Yu smile against his chest.  “You sure you don’t want to finish the laundry?” he added, and Yu reached up with one hand to cover Yosuke’s mouth.

“Enjoy the moment,” he demanded, pressing more tightly against Yosuke when he started fidgeting.  Yosuke let out a huff before closing his eyes, trying his best to relax. 

“You owe me later,” he grumbled, and Yu pressed a kiss against his neck.

“I’ll make it up to you,” he promised, and Yosuke responded by carefully wrapping his arms around Yu’s shoulders, also not wishing to interrupt Hana.

Yosuke wanted to talk more, but he could tell Yu was itching for a nap, and so kept his mouth shut.  Instead, he quietly watched Yu as he finally drifted off to sleep, his face looking closer to his age and more peaceful when he finally fell asleep.  Yosuke brushed his bangs out of his face in order to get a better look and smiled softly at his sleeping expression.  He really was fortunate to have Yu for his fiancé.  “Thank you for putting up with me partner,” Yosuke said softly, smiling when he felt Yu stir slightly, tilting his head slightly so he could whisper in his ear.

“I’ll spoil you really well,” he said, voice heavy with sleep, and Yosuke chuckled.

“I look forward to it,” he said, pressing his lips against Yu’s temple as he drifted off to sleep again.  Yeah, Yosuke was really lucky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a wrap with the final day of Souyowrimo! Thank you to everyone who read and commented - I really appreciated your kind words. They were great motivation to get through this project ^^ And thanks especially to Gwyn for coming up with the prompts this year!


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